Tears of Epoch
by CygnusTheCat
Summary: When a sentinel crystal falls upon the kingdom of Nexus, one curious person decides to grab it and see what it does. Unfortunately, he gets more than he actually expected for...
1. Chapter 1: The Wanderer

Once upon a time, in the land of Teya, there once was a land that consisted of peace, prosperity, everything a soul can dream for. Until one day, a comet crashed down on the land, only to change everything forever. War, chaos, violence, nothing that one's soul could dream for. Many souls fought for the comet, but one successfully took the power and made off under the living name of the Comet Caller, said to be blessed by the Comet with the ability to harness it's powers to anyone. However, what it takes to stop the Comet Caller requires a lot of compassion, love, and hope...

The town of Castlemore was a very wealthy town. This island where Castlemore was located, also nicknamed Aurora Island, was located far west from the other islands, many miles west and out of sight from where the comet crashed. Aurora Island was in fact named after the founder, Aurora, who had served as queen for at least 27 years before dying in a battle. Apparently, as it was far away from the group of islands where the tribes settled that sighted the comet and took wars over it, they didn't know or even care about the comet, but as of the rise of the Comet Caller, news had spread far-wise from pigeons everywhere as people had claimed.

Ernaut, the Wanderer as everyone had called him, had been walking around the perimeter of Castlemore. He heard the news about the new comet caller, but they kept the name anonymous, likely to prevent witch hunts. Ernaut, got interested in the idea, and he had been a good samaritan in Castlemore, from you know; good deeds, helping others, you name it. He was the guy that was wearing a white shirt, black pants and black shoes. He even had black hair that stood down to his necks. He was walking down the town square of Castlemore when he heard the news of the comet caller.

"Oh, this is it. The comet caller seems to have evolved." said the man that was wearing a brown tux uniform.

"What is it? Can we go and investigate?" Ernaut said, looking kind of interested in trying to work this situation out. He knew, as for a Wanderer he was called, he would be called an success if he was able to make the bigger cut.

"No, I wouldn't. It's confidential right now, and it's far. One day." the man said. "If it's far, some of you may like; how would we even know this right now? That is a good question, pigeons took me via bird chirps. They have in fact a good point."

"Oh, okay, but I am kind of interested in this new idea. We're probably a lot farther from where the comet crashed. You know, that purple crystal comet that crashed down weeks ago? Yeah, that happened, but what I am willing to do is to go forth and investigate that comet!" Ernaut said.

"Oh no, I don't think that's going to happen, because the comet crash site is too far from us. Keep in mind, we're on the western regions while that comet crash site is on the eastern regions, way farther can we imagine." The man replied. That was the question Ernaut wanted, but what he actually wanted entirely was how to get there. No one knew as no one knew or even cared about the far eastern regions. In fact, speaking of that comet, no one even cared at all! All of the Castlemore people would care about is themselves, obeying under the Mayor's law. Speaking of the jobs they do at Castlemore, the Aurora Island focused more on business; the mining they do underground, construction, smithy, etc. Castlemore's finest soldiers usually are known as the "Knights of the Roundtable", and they usually arm themselves with swords and shields made out of iron and gold. They have to undergo various tasks to prove themselves to a powerful and brave knight ready for battle.

The island of Aurora was much farther to the west, from where the comet sight from weeks ago could never be seen or known. In fact, they didn't even know or care about the Dream Shore at all which the comet also destroyed! The Nexus was a group of islands to the west, which consisted of a regional group of people known as the Canaan Empire. Everyone at the Nexus often times took part in jobs; bakery, mining, scientific research, all that important factors.

"Ernaut, what are you doing here? Come back home, we have something for you to talk about." the man that called out his name. He was the father of Ernaut, who rose and took care of him for years. He was interested in foretelling what could Ernaut's future be. Ernaut was a son of two parents; a father named Noah who seeks balance a priority in Castlemore, and the mother Jeanne is willing to seek to work with Ernaut in the future one day but not outside of the Nexus.

"Okay Noah, I'll be right there." Ernaut followed Noah back home to his house which was towards the castle village straight from the market square.

"So, you are the Wanderer. There has been some news about the Comet Caller from the eastern regions, but we are too far to even take care of it, not even the Knights of the Round or our royal guards would be interested in that. Would you be interested in traveling far in the future? It seems to be one of your dreams right now." Noah asked while inside the foyer of Ernaut's house. Ernaut's house had two floors and three bedrooms, one for Ernaut, one for Jeanne, and one for Noah. Simple as that, other rooms consisted of a living room which had a table. The house was made of bricks.

"Sure, it would be interesting for me to undertake a huge mission, sometimes even for my own life. Keep in mind, I'm still trying to seek what I am ultimately am to myself." Ernaut said.

"Talking about the Comet Caller, eh?" the mother of Ernaut called out. She was Jeanne, who had been self-esteemed for years, and is often very strict of what is heard outside of the Nexus. Jeanne had been strict of the outsiders of Nexus because she wouldn't think anyone in the Nexus would take peace to outside strangers.

"Ernaut, I'll be dealing with an argument right now. You go upstairs to my room because I'll be talking for a bit. You can watch though, but I won't be talking to you in the meantime while I deal with this." Noah said, directing Ernaut to his room upstairs. Ernaut later walked up upstairs to his room. The stairs lead to his bedroom, which also was the only room to go to upstairs.

Ernaut's bedroom had one bed, and a wood drawer to keep his clothes in. The blanket that was on top of his bed was made with the symbol of the town of Castlemore, as it was sewn and created by the tailors of Castlemore to show their pride.

Ernaut heard his father Noah argue over his mother Jeanne over the ideas of his new adventure. Even though they call him the Wanderer, his parents had disallowed him from traveling far because they don't want him to travel too far, Ernaut, laying on his wool bed in his own bedroom at the upper floor, begins to think;

"They call me the Wanderer because I am best known to travel far in Aurora, and sometimes out of the Nexus. I love exploration, that is my hobby, but sometimes I have to face how to care for others, even though that they are unlikely. I recall that one time that there was a thief in the town that stole a valuable bag of gold. He got away, of course. How would you feel, if you were unable to make a change that could make the world a better place?" Ernaut thought to himself, thinking of what it would be like to hurt others with no respect, and only care about yourself. Yes, hurting others with no respect and caring about ourselves. That's what Ernaut explained, but most of the time, the people of the Nexus let them down, because one of their traditions is to care about themselves, and not the outside world itself. Not that it mattered very much because the people of the Nexus didn't know any actual regions or other nations outside of the Nexus that they could actually go to.

Ernaut walked out of his room out of his curiosity to see what could Jeanne and Noah be arguing about. Apparently from his eyes and ears, they were arguing if the Comet Caller should even be cared about even from this far. Sure, the Comet Caller may be a tyrannical threat, but even from this far, it shouldn't pretty much matter due to the Nexusians' cultures.

"Okay, we've decided right now. We're not going to care about the Comet Caller anymore. It's pretty much a saying. Like I said, we are too far away to even acknowledge it. Maybe if there's an physical threat or news, of course. Ernaut, you can at least stay in the Nexus and undertake jobs for us if you want. You're old enough to undertake a job." Noah said.

"Alright then, I don't care about the Comet Caller anymore, and why should we? I would estimate it like this; 10 it's a crisis, and 0 it's a hoax. I can estimate a 0, it's a hoax that we don't care about." Ernaut learnt that it's best to not care about the Comet Caller; if they don't know any real details or any actual threats, then don't care about it.

Ernaut ultimately knew his role as the Wanderer. Even though he is known as the Wanderer, he is more like the Wanderer of Castlemore right now. He left the house to go take a walk, but overheard a woman next door that is seemingly overburdened by weight, but no one was around to even help her. Ernaut waved kindly at the woman to gain her attention.

"Hey you! Can you help me carry all these bags in? You look like a good person to handle." the woman said.

"Sure, I can help you carry all of these shopping items in your house. These all look very heavy." Ernaut replied, willing to help out the woman. He with his strength helped out the woman with the bags, especially the larger ones. The woman apparently was a wealthy woman that bought a portraiture painting, and a bunch of art as well.

"Call me Janice. I believe that I have something to tell you about. I saw you talking to that guy about the Comet Caller." the woman said. She looked like she was also interested in the Comet Caller as well, as she had purchased an scroll and some art as shown in her bags.

"Okay, I'll find out some important facts about the Comet Caller to prove it's not a hoax. But, do you have any mind about that? Speaking of how you're interested in that, it sounds like you really do." Ernaut replied.

"This painting that I bought from the shop, was a rare one. This was the only painting they had in stock that shows at least a connection to the Comet Caller. How would you ask? That was the point, we are going to get to that. This painting, represents a woman that lead a tribe to victory. Also, from this scroll that I bought from the archivist lobby, this one was very, I mean very expensive, but tells something important. This scroll says that once upon a time, balance and harmony in the eastern Teya was very peaceful, until a comet crashed down. Yes, a comet that consisted of purple crystals. People across the region started fighting each other and wars raged for days, but a woman tried to stand up for it, and that woman's name was Aruku. She and her Hawk Tribe found an artifact called the Tear of Heaven, which brought forth imagery, wisdom, and spirituality. It was even said to bless the user with great wisdom and power. Unfortunately, the Tear lead to many darker problems which changed everything; Shades hunting them down, evil monsters, you name it. After through many brutal battles and dark faiths, she finally lead her Hawk Tribe to the comet, which is said to be the root of all evil. However, a spirit inside "claimed" that she'll be granted great power if she sacrificed enough blood to the comet, thus she did, and her new tyranny and power made her nicknamed the Comet Caller. See, that's what I mean."

"Oh, I get it, the Comet Caller is in fact real, but on the eastern land of Teya, while we are at western. I don't think that even matters right now." Ernaut said. "Anyways, how would you tell that the scroll had what you wanted to read about?"

"I found this scroll at the archivist lobby when I read it once. Other scrolls they had usually told about older tales and legends within the Nexus or other lands within the world of Teya. You may ask, why is our world called Teya? That was the point, we wanted a world that represents happiness to our hearts and families. That's what are ancestors want. Anyways, speaking of the scrolls I looked and read each scroll slightly carefully, each indicated with a panel, but the one that caught my eye was this scroll; when I first saw the term "comet crash site". See, that's what I mean. I looked at the scrolls carefully if they got any interest, and there you go."

"Oh, and back to the actual subject. What else could the Comet Caller or even the Tear of Heaven do? It seems nothing can even get to the Nexus right now since we are presumably too far away."

"Umm, I would say no about the too far away part. Anyways, where was I? I was getting to the most major part, alright then. Do you recall those monsters known as Shades, the phantom spirits that form humans to avoid been corrupted by light? That's the point, but it's said that if they find a new target of the Tear of Heaven, the Shades would be reborn and evolve as new beings, and that bearer of the Tear would be marked as the new target to kill."

"You're getting the point, I can go now." Ernaut said.

"Wait, there's more. If you ever hear anything or even know anything more about the Tear of Heaven, or even Aruku, you can always ask me."

Ernaut left the door from Janice's house. He learnt quite a bit of knowledge from the ancient archives, but night was going to fall soon. He didn't want his parents knowing that he stayed up too late out of bounds or anything like that, so he decided to return home.

"Ernaut, how's life going for you? Seems like you been out for quite some time right now." Noah said upon Ernaut's entrance to the main foyer.

"Fine, just fine. It's just my life is willing to make a change in the future. If there a choice in the future, I will have to adapt that choice in the future. Simple as that." Ernaut replied.

The clock that was on Ernaut's desk at his bedroom read 9:37. Estimately, the sun starts to sets around 7:15 pm, and rises again around 6:55 am. The clock was a red clock that was wind up via clockwork. Of course, all of the working and businesses Ernaut had been working all day, Ernaut was already tired. The alarm on the clock was set for 7:30 am.

"What a day. Guess I'll find out what I can do tomorrow." Ernaut yawned. He was worn out from the walking around and gossiping he had been doing. He helped out a woman with carrying heavy loads, and learnt important history about the Comet Caller, but does it really matter to the Nexus or even everyone else? Not that it matters to the Nexus now, but to Ernaut, he is willing to seek a secret interest over it.


	2. Chapter 2: The Blessing

"Look at that glow!" Ernaut was awoken by the ringing noises outside his window. What he saw from his window, resembled a shooting star, but it was tinted at a purple. Was it, a shooting star that someone would basically make a wish for, or it is some kind of relic from space? Ernaut wasn't sure, but from his sight, it landed somewhere in the Nexus, most likely in the other islands.

"Now that's a sight that I've never seen before, but I better get some sleep, so I can do that task tomorrow to explore where that star went, and maybe I'll get some significance on what my quest truly is. I, as the Wanderer, have a goal, and that goal is to seize the day under the Nexus." Ernaut thought to himself after the star was out of sight from him. He then went back to bed, because it wasn't worth going down to find the star right now, and to the fact that his parents would be easily alerted if he opens the front door and leaves without a proper notice.

The clock read 7:30, thus ringing it with a bell-like sound. Ernaut clicked the bell, and the bell was stopped. Ernaut let out a stretch. He then did his morning routine; uniforms, breakfast with his parents, you name it. Ernaut was ready to go, and leave home for his job. He left his house in his casual uniform; white shirt, black pants, black shoes, and even his backpack incase he finds important factors; whether it be treasures, relics, or some important clues.

"Noah, I am leaving outside to go find jobs and other important stuff for me." Ernaut said, to make sure that Noah understands where he's going.

"Okay, but this time, stay in the Nexus and remember; don't go too far!" Noah said.

Ernaut walked towards the town square of Castlemore, where gossips would roam and discussions would happen across many people.

"Did you hear about the ringing?" The same man that would walk around that wore a brown dapper tux uniform said.

"Yes, I thought it was a shooting star, but someone has yet to see what it's true colors are." Ernaut replied.

"Well, maybe it's a shooting star, from my eyes that I watching, it's too small to be either a meteor or even a comet." the man said.

"Let me, from my sightings, I believe it went somewhere in the mine." Someone else said that wore the casual flashlight helmet that one would use to shine light. He had a toolbelt as well. Was he, one of the miners that would work at the mines?

"Wait, what do you mean; the mines?" Ernaut replied, having not known of the mines where the miners would go to to undertake the hunt for gemstones and minerals.

"Well, I was going to enter the mines for my routine to collect some gems, but when I saw those purple shines that extend very far in range. That was the same color that represented the shooting star, naturally I thought it would be the Comet Caller up to some tricks, so I kindly stayed out." the miner said

"Okay, fine, I'll go in myself." Ernaut replied, who sparked interest of the star itself. He knew what he had to do; find out what the purplish glow was. Could that where the shooting star had landed?

Ernaut ran towards the caves where the purplish glow was sighted from above. Apparently, this wasn't any ordinary cave, this was the mine where the miners would undertake the annual task of collecting gems such as emeralds, sapphires, and ore such as iron and gold. These would be allegedly used to earn wealth and power, such as using the gems to become wealthy or using the ore to build new tools of the trade. The caves were made out of stone, and the only thing that was wood was the minecart tracks and the infrastructures they use to keep the area secured. Not to mention, the engineering and construction is a lot more professional than others across the globe, likely due to their primary focus on development instead of competency.

The caves got darker as the passage got deeper. The only source of light was the glowstone torches on the walls; meant for long-term lighting. Ernaut was a brave boy, he couldn't think of nothing that would've made him fret. In fact, the only time Ernaut ever had to fear something was when he was a child in the night in the past. When he heard about the Shades in the past, naturally he'll think they hunt in the night, but accordingly, the Shades in fact originated from the dark nightmares people had been taking, and the dark corruption of the Dream Shore, which likely changed the name by many to the Crimson Shore. Dream Shore was an island where people would go to to find paradise and new dreams. The only thing that he would care is his own dreams, and not to forget it. Ernaut walked down deeper into the caves, but saw something it was glass-like, as well as a blast that looked like rocks, as if the mine had been blasted from the ceiling above by the star. Was the glass-like object, a crystal or a new jewel?

"What's this?" Ernaut saw an crystal in the caves. Picking it up, it was pure black, meaning it had no glow left. It felt unusually lighter than the other gemstones, because an average gemstone/crystal is heavy to the touch, but the black crystal felt like it was just a shell; there was nothing inside.

"You know what, forget it." Ernaut dropped the crystal back into the ground, because it wasn't worth it to him because it was too light to be considered a gemstone, rather more like a hoax or a decoy. However, as soon as the crystal dropped to the ground, it glowed purple and then a voice rang from it. Was that, the shooting star that Ernaut saw from the ringing?

"My my my, you're quite the person that I wanted." the crystal said via glows.

"Who is this? Or, should I say what is this?" Ernaut said, in a shocked reply.

"I am the Tear of Heaven, the bringer of wisdom, and the seeker of hopes and dreams." the Tear said, revealing its name.

"Kind of cool. Do you know anything about the Comet Caller? I know I shouldn't be talking about this right now. I know that alias from a scroll and wisewoman which I won't be disclosing right now. You seem like a good ally to team up with, speaking of how you nickname yourself. Speaking of how you talk, I believe you must be a sentinel to me."

"Speaking of the Epoch of the Comet, if you say so, it's time to accept this quest, hero!" the Tear of Heaven said.

"Okay, so what do I have to do?"

"You have to follow me, and I'll guide you to your answer, you have to destroy the Comet to-"

"Ernaut? Ernaut? Are you still there?" Noah said, calling out for Ernaut.

"Noah?" Ernaut said, walking back but putting the Tear of Heaven in the backpack, afraid that Noah would know it's secrets that it isn't supposed to disclose in Castlemore according to the mayor himself.

"We've been waiting for you, but you took too long. I was worried so I had to come in, I thought there was a monster and you'll be in trouble, so what was it?"

"Nothing sir, it was just a shooting star, nothing too special. It came, but it died out in this cave." Ernaut exaggerated about the purple star that flashed.

"Very well, carry on. I was worried that there might be a threat in there. I'll tell that to the curious miner that it was just a shooting star that probably died." Noah replied.

Ernaut walked out the cave, and knew the things to come. The Tear of Heaven was with him in his backpack, and he knew he had a quest to do, but as mentioned before, his parents don't allow him to leave the Nexus, but he also feared that he'll get caught if he pulled out the Tear of Heaven out, so he kept it in the backpack for safekeeping. The only common time he'll be using the Tear of Heaven as he decided; only in his private time such as in his bedroom.

"Is that Janice?" Ernaut wondered as he saw the same women carrying that scroll, the scroll that probably told lore about the Comet Caller's real identity. Was she allowed to even do that? Would anyone even care?

"Hey you!" Ernaut said, walking up from the sides and in front of Janice. "Do you think, people would even care?"

"Honestly, if you recall what you said; 0 being a hoax, and 10 being a crisis, I would have ensured that telling about the Comet Caller's identity would raise the scale to ensure that it's not a hoax anymore. You know what I mean?" Janice replied. She believed that the evidence of the scroll would raise the alert scale even further; and lead to beliefs getting high.

"Wally here. I need to read this scroll you seem to be telling other people for." This was the voice of the mayor, who wanted to read the scroll to see if it's any big deal. If it's not a big deal to him, then he won't even care or even try to take action.

Janice gave Wally the scroll that told about the Comet Caller. Once it grasped within Wally's hand, Wally unfolded and read it. Janice was worried; would he believe the scroll, or would he turn it down?

"Ah yes! Legend of the Comet Caller, I see. Oh well, since we're too far I guess we're not going to help out at all." Wally said, after reading the scroll with his glasses and lending it back to Janice.

"Did you not read the scroll carefully? Don't basically nickname her the Comet Caller. She was Aruku, that woman that lead pride and victory to stop an evil force from within the Comet. She was called the Comet Caller for harnessing the power to reign tyranny. No, it wasn't because she knew the best of it, it was the Call of the Comet that seduced her to sacrifice blood for it, and that's what nicknamed her the Comet Caller." Janice said.

"I know, I know, the scroll said it all, but it's over. Honestly, we're too far, and this Nexus is far more ahead of them in terms of technology and advancements. Honestly on the lower end, we are on the higher end of the hill. You two can leave. I can conclude this; a minority."

"He just said a minority, which would basically mean a 1 out of 10. Come with me, I have something you should know." Janice said, leading Ernaut somewhere.

"Noah, I'll be right back." Ernaut said, looking back to where Noah was watching Wally dictate the scroll Janice had.

"Okay, here we go. Right now, I saw the sight down hill, and I overheard the miner talk about a purple glow. In fact, the star is in fact a purple glowing one. I saw that sight out in my back garden to watch the shooting star, which I also in fact heard from ringing sounds it had. Sounded more like a crystal ringing, of course. I am suspicious about the purple star. What was the purple star that you've found?"

"Good thing we're in your estate right now, because I'll likely be known right now. This was the purple star." Ernaut said as he opened his backpack to pull out the Tear of Heaven, the purple crystal itself.

"Is that the Tear of Heaven? How would it get this far?"

"I believe what it was looking for was a new target of association, which would try to lead pride and faith to victory. From my good samaritan that I'm been doing for days, I believe it's seeking an new bearer to seek after Aruku turned it down. At first, when I first came up to it, it was like dead black, I thought it was like for nothing, just a dead crystal that would be worth zero value to be made out of it. However, as soon as I felt it would be for nothing, the crystal awakening. This is no ordinary crystal, this is a sentinel crystal."

"May I tell you your objective?" The Tear of Heaven interrupted as it glowed via speech.

"Not now, I'm over discussion over this." Ernaut said to the Tear of Heaven. "Anyways, where was I? Oh, I get it, the Tear of Heaven, key of spirituality and happiness, but this tear has lead to many challenges and what it means to be fooled by it. You know, the monsters arising due to dark congregations, destructions, all that dark stuff."

"I see… I don't know what else I could say about it, but I highly doubt anyone would believe in Aruku or the Tear of Heaven at all, unless an actual threat or some sort of calling card was created about it, which if it were by us, wouldn't make any sense whatsoever."

"Look, I gotta go, but I better make sure that this Tear of Heaven is safe in my backpack. You agree, not to tell about the Tear of Heaven?"

"I agreed." Janice nodded, pleading to Ernaut's choices.

"Not to worry, I've yet to learn my survival skills and how to fight off monsters. I've never participated in combat before, but maybe I'll learn something from the Tear of Heaven that could impact my future."

Ernaut went back home. He tried to reflect back what he at least tried to do; he obtained the Tear of Heaven, and now he has to find a purpose for it. The Tear had already blessed him as the new hero of the Epoch, but he didn't know what to do to further it's standards. Speaking of the Nexus, Wally wouldn't just let some kid go out on his own to obey some nonsense talking crystal which Wally believes it's witchcraft. Sure, the Nexus had some wise people and some magicians, but some magics and secrets can't be learned just by looking at it.

At night, Ernaut couldn't stop thinking about the Tear of Heaven, and how he was being chosen to work as a hero for the Tear of Heaven. Placing his backpack down where his desk was, he took out the Tear, feeling like he needs a little private talk over it. He laid the Tear down on his desk, sat down on the chair, and began to think;

"Hopes and dreams, that is quite the point that you wanted. If one is to obey you at all costs, why lead it through pride and arrogance that would hurt others? That is quite the point that I heard about you, what do you want from me, us, or anyone? The soul tells me arrogance, and my own heart tells me pride. Imagine what it would be like to harm others with no mercy whatsoever, and care only for yourself only will. That is called selfishness, and in my own heart, I would imagine being selfish sounds an hurtful thing to imagine. I would once ask the Tear if she knew about the selfishness, and she said the hearts would grow colder across the ages to come. What it would be like to become an hero?" Ernaut said, talking to himself over the Tear of Heaven.

"Keep in mind, I'm not just no ordinary crystal, I am the Spirit of Heaven, and this crystal, or should I say Tear, is my origin. I was once reborn myself from when Aruku dipped me in the healing springs of the Guardian Moon, which purified me, and thus; I glowed and felt ready to take on evil myself." the Spirit said.

"My own incarnations are going to be born. I would be able to make that change for once in my life, if I ever stand up against evil." Ernaut thought for himself. "Oh well, I'm going to get some sleep. You'll give me the blessing right?"

"I can't make any promises since I am only a Guardian Spirit that originated from the Guardian Moon, so yes, I am inhuman, but I would try to think over that. Keep in mind, you've only met me, and we are quite far from each other, but I do see your goal, to become a hero, fulfill your new dream, I understand, but sometimes, you are only just yourself. How would you make a big of change with just your skills?"

"As a casual person, I am still trying my best, and I do understand the consequences on what is to change from my former self to an even bigger one. Some bigger changes require a bit of thinking and skill, but once if you keep on going, you will soon understand your change and goals with a further step."

"You know that this can be the hardest thing to do, and it can be new to you, but if you look forward to the future, you'll walk forth and find yourself with the blessing."

"Okay, good night!" Ernaut was tired. He was in a private conservation of the Tear of Heaven, and is currently on the line to seek it's blessing, but what would that blessing offer? Ernaut didn't even know, but currently exhilarated about it, Ernaut went to sleep afterwards.


	3. Chapter 3: Night Watcher

Laying flat down on the volcanic floor…

Ernaut got up, and he saw unholy angels that represented the colors of the wind. Apparently they were on the verge of destroying the Knights of the Roundtable. Ernaut was just a average boy; he didn't have any abilities, and in fact, the Spirit of Heaven wasn't even with him. He was all alone. All he could do is watch the dark angel spirits fight off knight after knight to their deaths. In fact, Ernaut never even had any experience with combat at all. Thinking for a bit, he looked at his hands, and they glowed. Was he, blessed by the Spirit of Heaven?

"I must have the capabilities already. I'll show them what I've got!" Ernaut thought to himself. He tried blowing out some punches to test himself. Apparently, the Spirit of Heaven was throwing out crystal punches from behind his neck. He wasn't himself anymore, he would try to test the limits. Unleashing blast after blast at the angels, they were dispelled by the power of the magic fists. He knew there was more; he summoned an second tool to try out, the magic orb. The magic orb would shoot spirit needles towards enemies to smite them. Ernaut saw three marching angels towards him, and he charged up three shots locked onto them, and they were all blasted by the spirit needles.

"This isn't enough right now, what else do I have as my arsenal?" Ernaut searched for something better. He then summoned a balmung sword that was around 3.6 yards long, and the hilt was more like a chain. Ernaut spun around and charged a blast that knocked down the angels. Sure, it was slower than his fists or the needles, but at least it had longer range!

"Ugh!" Ernaut panicked, and was grabbed by larger angels, and was thrown down the volcano to his death, where he would be melted by the lava within.

Ernaut woke up. The clock read 5:30 am, two hours before Ernaut's alarm clock would even ring. Ernaut looked at his hands once again, and realized that this dream wasn't any ordinary anymore, it was more of a test to foresee the future but what his new powers would mean to him; battle, faith, and courage. His hands glowed purple; the same way in his vision. Was he, blessed for real, and the vision actually was the test of abilities and a foreseer of the future?

The Spirit of Heaven had already given Ernaut that the blessing he wanted. After all, Ernaut was chosen to be the Tear of Heaven's next entity to serve and deal. Speaking of Ernaut's power; he'd imagine to have higher sight, and even the ability to use heavenly powers. The Spirit of Heaven was the entity that was born from purification of the Tear from the Guardian Moon, but speaking of the Guardian Moon, the Spirit didn't fully tell Ernaut about his creation, and how the Guardian Moon was even found after all. The Tear of Heaven was blackened out, because the blessing also sacrificed the Tear as well by transferring its power over to Ernauts' heart.

"Oh, well, you've given my blessing alright, but I honestly feel like I need a little bit more rest. That was quite the nightmare that I had." Ernaut thought to himself over the dream itself. What would be like for him to experience that in real life? That didn't matter in the meantime, but what did matter is what he was actually being blessed with in the real life. What new powers has Ernaut has unlocked from the Spirit of Heaven?

Ernaut put himself via the stasis that would allow him to access the capabilities of the Spirit of Heaven. The bubble map looked like a evolution chart of what skills could be unleashed via possessing the Spirit of Heaven. The one bubble in the center represented the Spirit Guide, where the Spirit of Heaven would take place inside of Ernaut and guide him through the objectives he wants. He wanted to see the rest of the skills, but they are all locked, meaning he wasn't powerful enough to possess the new skills yet. Of course, this was the only the beginning of things, and Ernaut has yet to train the full potential with the Spirit of Heaven if he wants to unlock all the powers that the Spirit of Heaven would give to him.

"Welcome to the Spirit of Heaven, how may I help you?" the spirit said. Apparently, this spirit cast in a way that only Ernaut, the chosen one can see or even hear the Spirit. The Spirit's physical presence resembled a purple wisp.

"Not right now, I'm tired right now, I want to go take a nap. It's probably too early to get up and do something right now. I want to put you to stasis right now." Ernaut let out a snap.

"Call me Karin, this is my alias for you. Oh, you snapped, what you want to do with that snap?"

"If I snap while you're active, you'll go into stasis mode where you'll be idle, and a snap while you're in stasis would wake you up. That way, I can head on out to the real world, but I have to keep you a secret from the people of the Nexus; they'll think I am related to the Comet Caller because of the Tear of Heaven."

"Your request is accepted. Entering stasis." Karin said, leaving the presence from Ernaut's outside body to inside him, which would rest the spirit and only come out when requested or in any sense of danger.

It was 6:03 am. Ernaut had already been blessed with the Tear of Heaven's power thanks to Karin. He worked quietly with Karin to config her and be ready for his new adventure to begin. He wanted a break from discussion, so he took a bit of rest time for now.

The tavern of Castlemore had some discussion going on. There were people at the tables everywhere Ernaut can tell due to signs of communications and talking everywhere, and some strong guy with thick muscles that was standing outside the tavern.

"Hey, what's your name?" Ernaut said. "You look really strong, and possibly one of the popular in Castlemore."

"They call me Shion, the famous hunter! I work hard to fight and hunt any monsters that get in my way. With my trusty sword and my own bow and arrow. I am very smart, clever, and skillful. They recognize me for courage, bravery, dignity, and honor within me. I grew up as a lad that wanted to seek to be the bravest of the brave, and through strong challenges that revolve around what it means to take a risk, that's what I am, a hunter." Shion said, introducing himself to Ernaut.

"Alright then. What's the biggest challenge that you have had in your life?" Ernaut asked.

"My biggest challenge? Aha, that was the point. I had undergone many challenges, such as taking down large enemies such as beasts that would try to threaten Castlemore or even the whole Nexus. Ultimately, that's one of the major dreams that I had; becoming a great hunter that would aim to take the spotlight via providing my bravery. What is your dream that you have then?" Shion said.

"My own dream is to explore outside the Nexus, and head east to defeat the Comet Caller at her game!" Ernaut asked.

"Really? Do you really think we would even call about that Comet Caller or that comet sight that we wouldn't be able to see? Besides, east is way too far to even travel. Some folks at the tavern even told you about that wise woman that told us knowledge and facts yet no one even cares about, at all! Would you even think we care about you and that woman new knowledge that seems meaningless to us?." Shion said.

"Shion, listen. Keep in mind, we have to work hard in the Nexus, and work hard in Castlemore. We are important workers and important businessmen. This is no time for unfaithfulness towards the outer lands. We may have to travel east if they prove an physical threat, but unless you're basically saying true stuff, I'll start to care for you. As for Ernaut, you are in fact a good person, but I have a task for you. Can you investigate the cellar of the Town Hall? Rats seem to have infested the area. No, not just ordinary rats, plague rats that we well indeed fear. Maybe you could think of a strategy on how to kill rats." Wally said, talking to both Ernaut and Shion.

"Sure, I'm up to the job. In fact, I'm a great adventurer that's willing to seize the day. Keep in mind, this will soon be one of my first action-based adventures that will soon enter me into the real world. "Ernaut said.

The cellar that was under Wally's town wall consisted of a wooden basement, but with a brick based wall, similar to how the town hall was built with bricks like that. With the cellar being infested with rats with no proper way to attack. Ernaut, needing the assistance of Karin, snapped his fingers to make her call.

"You call for me?" Karin said.

"Okay, scan these mice around here. That way, I can know the level of toxicity so I can see what's threatening about them." Ernaut asked.

Karin ran a laser scan of the rats, and analyzed the toxins that the mice were carrying.

"Okay, this is venomous toxin, one of the higher levels of the toxins. Because of how swift and effective they are, it's not recommended for you to fight them." Karin said.

"What? I said to mayor Wally that I would undertake exterminating those mice? If I can't attack safely, what can I do then? Oh, I understand, maybe if I can think of that dream, I can reflect on what I can do thanks to you…" Ernaut replied.

"Now imagine a needle that would fly out and seek the prey like stingers…" Karin said, asking Ernaut to mediate along to her. Karin had a plan she had to reflect upon.

Karin, the spirit lifted several orbs that resembled to be magic needles…

"It's working! Keep it up!" Karin cheered, as the meditation Ernaut was undertaking was getting close to unlocking a new power.

"Alright, you've unlocked the Spirit Needle, where you can shooting homing magic missiles towards evils at all costs! Now, go forth, and blast those mice!" Karin said, having unlocked the Holy Needle that Ernaut can now summon now.

With the large mice getting close to him, Ernaut fired needle after needle which would spirit-break the mice to pieces, but to hide any traces, Karin extracts all purple crystal pieces to re-use them as mana for Ernaut. After a bit of investigation, Ernaut found a little hole on the brick wall which could've lead to a backdoor for the venomous mice.

"Karin, how far does this hole go?" Ernaut asked.

"Okay, since you're too small to even see what's inside of this hole. Aha! This is it. This hole is one of those dens of evil that we are unaware off. This hole is a lair of venomous mice, so the best thing we can do is close this hole until there is no light left of it to the outside.

"We need a plan to probably close this hole. We don't have something like clay or whatever can fill this hole without anyone noticing. Oh, wait, it would've been wiser to tell Wally first because he would probably refuse me if I close the hole first, because I don't think he even noticed in the first place."

"Shall we propose a plan?"

"Not now, I have to talk to Wally first." Ernaut snapped his fingers again, initiating Karin to go into stasis.

"Umm, Wally, I took care of the rat problem, but there's like a hole in the cellar wall that seems to be likely the source of the rats. I think you should check it out." Ernaut to Wally, knowing that sealing the rat hole would deem to him a hoax, and something he won't in fact believe in him.

"Alright, I'll go investigate that myself, so I can understand where you are going with this." Wally said.

Wally went in and investigated the hole in the cellar's wall. Ernaut was right about the hole, but could that really be where the mice came from?

"Ah yes! That hole in the wall, must've been where the mice came from! I'll soon have this fixed in a jiffy!" Wally said, coming to an helpful conclusion about the mice problem. "Right now what I need is someone to help fill in this hole, I need some clay to fill it up, which I'll be good to go if anyone has one. Mmm… doesn't seem like anyone has one. Oh well, I'll deal with this later, but I'll put up an help wanted sign if anyone is willing to care about it. You seem to bring up a good point about us; caring about others."

"What does it feel like to you, to actually see each other as notable impacts to life?" Ernaut asked.

"Of course, that's what I am seeking. You seem to be very talented and very willing to help out others in need, unlike that Shion guy who seems to care about hunting the biggest game and enemies for popularity. You, on the other hand seem to help out others to seek good samaritan. That's what makes you an average volunteer." Wally replied.

"You know what? Fine, I'll be trying my best, in order to retain my popularity. The way you're giving Ernaut the tasks seems like it's making me jealous, you're stealing my thunder right now. In fact, I could've gotten those mice easier than you with my strength and bravery!" Shion said, in a jealous like manner. "In fact, you are just a small guy who doesn't know good at anything, you're just an average kid who likes to mess around and tell about information yet no one cares about! Heh heh heh hee hee hee."

"Fine, I'll be going now. I need to think over something, what do I mean, and what do I serve." Ernaut left the tavern where Wally and Shion were talking with him. Ernaut walked back home in order to get some rest after a bit of arrogance with Shion and exterminating the mice.

Night fell in the Nexus, and Ernaut was just meditating, however this time a wolf howl which alerted Karin out of her stasis likely due to a threat presence. Ernaut was nearly startled by the awakening sound of Karin everytime he would call out Karin for her needs.

"What is it? I didn't ask you to come out." Ernaut said.

"There's apparently a monster known as a night howler out there. They are special werewolves that hunt during the night and hide during the day. If we don't stop it, there's a likely choice that these would devour humans." Karin replied.

"You know I'll get caught if I were to run out at midnight!" Ernaut said, knowing that this might be a bad idea for Ernaut's standards.

"I can help with that." I have the ability to augment you in a way that you'll be 100% quiet by the use of my movement powers. That way when you get to your destination and back, no one would even hear you.

Coming out from the window in the upper floor of his house without ever making a noise via the use of Karin's maneuverability, Ernaut went to the forest north of Castlemore where the night howler was located. There it is, as indicated by Karin's light, was the wolf. Ernaut fired a few needles but the wolf dodged each of them via the use of reflexes and bouncing between trees.

"Ugh… this guy's too fast. We need more firepower." Ernaut said.

"I have a plan, let's go for a more charged shot. I have to also teach you this, the Spirit Needle can also fire multiple shots at enemies. Let's go for a more charged approach so the wolf can't have any room to approach. As for the environment, the spirit needles are arcane-based, and avoid contact with the environment itself, only life forms such as animals, monsters, or even humans." Karin said.

The wolf ran toward Ernaut while he was still charging the needles. Karin, tapped him on the shoulder to alert him that the wolf's running up to him. Ernaut began to concentrate on the wolf's biting attack.

Flip! Ernaut did a backflip as soon as the wolf did his biting strike toward him, evading the bite and then charging the needle attack toward him and exploding him out of crystal.

"Mission accomplished, and I just need to escape." Ernaut said. Karin, in her response decided to recall Ernaut to his own bedroom using the same techniques to avoid getting detected. Ernaut closed the window, let out a sight, and snapped again to put Karin back in stasis mode. Ernaut didn't anyone to know to believe that he is associated with Aruku herself, or even the Comet Caller as most people still call her under that title. Ernaut was already tired after the fight, and he wanted to get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: Simple Sight

It has been a day since Ernaut has been blessed with Karin's power, also known as the power that originated from the Tear of Heaven. Ernaut has been exhausted from teaming up with Karin to look out the night in order to find a night howler to kill. Wally and Shion began to investigate north where the wolf had been already killed by Ernaut himself to find out what happened there, and what did Ernaut do to actually kill it.

"We've found nothing, maybe the wolf went somewhere else?" Wally said, on the sight of where the wolf was. There was no blood, no good sights!

"Oh, that's just silly, if a wolf was just right there, why would it move somewhere else then? Refusal wouldn't be a good answer because they often times hunt for prey, and most of their known candidates range from smaller beasts or even us!" Shion said, looking critical of the situation.

"I don't know about it, maybe someone else killed it and eventually took it, but wait a second… why would someone hunt for something yet they cannot give evidence of? Why would someone in fact clean all of the traces up, as if to hide all of the evidence?"

"Let me. Janice said. "I believe that a magician killed the wolf. Magic tends to be more powerful than regular weaponry." Janice exaggerated, to ensure that Ernaut doesn't get picked on for being associated with the Comet Caller everyone shrugs off. She didn't want Ernaut's secret to be known.

"Magicians? Ah yes, magicians. I've heard of shamans that cast fire and ice. As for the Nexus, we have the Knights of the Round, wizards and wisemen that arm themselves with magic spells, you name it. Carry on." Wally said.

"Heh, I may be smart, but I would try to catch every prey and beast that tries to threaten us, no matter who catches it first!" Shion said. "I heard you are associated with the Ernaut guy that seeks to beg more attention towards the Comet Caller. Like I said, get over the Comet Caller, no one cares about whoever or whatever that is." Shion said.

"Sometimes things are better left off forgotten, for now." Janice thought to herself, knowing what Shion and the tavernspeople agree that Ernaut and Janice's ideas are better off forgotten. She had worked hard with Ernaut to research interest into the Tear of the Heaven, or shall Ernaut say Karin?

"What's going on? Look, I got the wolf away. It's no fun when you have night howlers that are capable of threatening the people." Ernaut said, walking into the conversation.

"Oh yeah, you again. I don't believe how you can scare a wolf without any magic or proper weapons. In fact, there was no blood, no anything!" Shion said, looking kind of jealous.

"Look, I have my own goals. The people don't need you to be picky and jealous over opportunities and dreams." Ernaut talked back.

"Just to wait, I bet you have something fishy with you. Let me guess, powers that even us cannot possess? Now, get out of my sight in the meantime!"

Ernaut walked back home to avoid being pressurized, until he just got a tap by Janice. What else could Janice want from him?

"Ernaut, we need to talk. Let's go to my estate and talk a bit in private. I have something to talk to you about, but I don't want it to be disclosed to anyone." Janice said, with Ernaut following her to her estate. Right after they both went inside her estate, they began a private talk;

"Ernaut, I have something to tell you. Apparently what is going on is that there's some sort of smell that the Tear of Heaven is being emulated, and ah yes, something is attracting them, and I don't think it looks nice. How could I tell that, you asked? There's a moral compass. This moral compass was in fact forged by a wiseman who wanted to understand people's nature. Take this compass, and you'll understand for myself."

Ernaut grabbed the moral compass and it seemed to be focusing on "greed", the yellow indicator. The other three indicators were light, evil, or solitude, indicated in solitude for gray, evil for red, and light for blue.

"My my my, you are quite greedy. Wait a second, did you unlock the Tear of Heaven? I heard that you've been possessed by some invisible wisp that nobody can see or even talk to except for you. Also, I don't believe how you can have killed that wolf without a proper weapon such as a sword or a bow."

"Yes, yes I did." Ernaut pulled out from his backpack the darkened Tear of Heaven, with no power left of it.

"Oh great, you've emptied the Tear of Heaven, and now YOU are the Spirit of Heaven. So far as I know, there's no way out of this, or even to put back the energy back to the Tear of Heaven itself. Now it's nothing but a void crystal which would be hardly worth it for profit or whatever you want to even do with it. What would you do now, now that you are the Spirit of Heaven, like how would you feel with being the Spirit of Heaven?"

"Keep in mind, that the Tear of Heaven grants the user wisdom and power. It even granted me new powers that I would need to survive in the future, like the ability to protect me or foretell potential dangers to come."

"Ultimately, if the Spirit of Heaven is nice to you, sometimes there are times that you must care about the outside world, or the world around you. Sometimes, if you care too much about things that help you often, it may not be worthy for you in the future. Keep in mind, sometimes the real world is more important than ever."

"Sometimes there are dangers and beasts that are yet to be best fought with the Spirit of Heaven. I hide my Spirit of Heaven in public, like you say the suburbs of Castlemore so people can't be suspicious about me. Ultimately, that's one of my dreams which i have the liberty of hiding from others, I keep that dream and the notation of the Spirit of Heaven a secret to myself."

"Well, you better keep that secret well hidden from anyone, because they'll start to think you're being possessed by witchcraft with such magical skills like those."

"Okay, I'll make sure to keep that a secret from anyone!" Ernaut said, while leaving the estate afterwards. He then went back home and thought to himself;

"If I were the new descendant for the Tear of Heaven. She wanted a hero for the world of Teya, and because of my good samaritan, I was the only good candidate. But the issue is, it's illegal in the Nexus to possess witchcraft, and if anyone had witnessed my powers, I would be be put up for witchcraft for eternity, because they do not understand what the Tear of Heaven wants and it's capabilities. They do not know about Aruku and the Hawk Tribe, but I want to know more about them. What I want to do, is find out more about Aruku, and how to resolve the Comet."

Ernaut was overthinking himself. He was the possession of the Spirit of Heaven, or as Ernaut calls Karin. "Would anyone even care about his possession and what his new fate would be?" Ernaut wondered to himself.

As usual. Ernaut has been trying to hide his secret intentions; and his unlocked Tear to anyone. However, he would also fear from hiding any traces that he might be possessed of witchcraft, so he decided not to have Karin out for any jobs or any services to undertake for the rest of the day. He'd be just like his regular self in the past, so during those so-called jobs, he ignored what Wally and Shion were up to, and decided to disregard anything regarding Aruku or Karin.

"Whew. I guess I better be back for the night. As least I made a bit of gold." Ernaut said, after doing whatever services he had wanted for, because during those days Ernaut worked as a service agent helping out those in need. He was tired from all of those jobs, so he went back home for the night and went back to bed.

Over through the night, Ernaut was unable to sleep, because he couldn't even stop thinking about Karin or the Spirit of Heaven. Janice had already alerted him that he's greedy for power, and a possible mysterious threat.

"Karin, leave me alone. I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Ernaut, you seem to be so sad, why are you so sad? Do you want me to leave you alone for a while or no?"

"Well, it seems like I am possessed by you. What would everyone think? I know I am trying my best to hide my secrets, but I feel like I'm being hunted down by ghosts or something like that. You know, the ghosts of the killed beings in the past?'

"What kind of ghosts? The monsters that you've killed already? No, not going to happen."

"Not that kind of ghosts. Do you recall the Shades and such monsters?"

"Aruku and the Hawk Tribe worked hard to successfully defeat them. At one point in the journey, she came across the challenge of the temples, where at one point the Shades revealed one of their true colors; a false darker incarnation of herself. The Shades were in fact recreated from the Crimson Shore, which originally was the Dream Shore before the comet destroyed it. She chose to bow down to the Call of the Comet, and thus, she became the Comet Caller everyone calls. Apparently the comet and the Crimson Shore remains today, still being in dark incarnations yet to be resolved."

"Ah yes! That was the point! You are great in the wisdom and power that the Tear of Heaven was stated to grant! Now, what are those Shades anyway? Are they likely going to evolve again?

"However, speaking of the Spirit of Heaven, there was this issue as well. The Shades were destroyed, and even the false incarnation of Aruku, but it is said if the wielder grants too much faith and power into the Tear of Heaven, it is stated that the new incarnation of the Shades would be created again, under the imagery of the person itself."

"You're getting me peeved about it. What am I going to do about it? Take you off me? No, it's not going to happen. Real talk again since I cannot take you off since it's in my heart now."

"There's an new incarnation of the Shades brewing up right now. You do in fact have good dreams, but what they are seeking for is the new incarnation of the Tear of Heaven. As for the dreams, yes. Nightmares and dark visions, that was the point, but if they incarnate too much, they form into Shades. The more powerful the nightmare, the more threatening the Shade becomes."

"Alright, how would I fight those off? Never seen such enemy in my life, but I feel like since those Shades are more like ghosts, they cannot be hurt by even the sharpest of swords or the strongest of weapons."

"Apparently, Shades can't be harmed properly. The reason why Aruku was able to kill off the Shades was the faith in her people and what it takes with the powers of the sacrificed Tear of Heaven. Keep in mind, you don't just fight off shades, you need all of the faith and will it takes to even kill one of these. It's not like you can just fight them to the death until they dispel. This is why they are called Shades, they are dark phantoms representing humanity's nightmares and dark dreams infused in reality."

"So, I understand, dark dreams and incarnations is what creates those Shades, and you have to stand up for your own faiths and beliefs to be able to fight against them, I've got that."

"You got it? Very well. I'll alert you if I detect any presence of Shades or any potential dangers while you sleep. "

"Okay, that's all I needed to know, I seem to be gaining more research about Aruku, but what does it even take to get to the east where Aruku is? It's miles and miles away, of course. Everyone I knew with the exception of Janice, wouldn't even help at all. They'll just pick on me and believe I care about the pointless too much."

"You'll just have to follow your goals. Ignore what's trying to distract you or anything like that. Keep on trying, and you'll be able to reach that goal."

"I understand, but sometimes, there are times where I have to take risks or face new reckonings no one like me would imagine."

"Often times, you have to believe in your dreams. Don't lose those dreams, or give up on them. A happy heart deserves what it takes to keep your dream uprising. Rest well."


	5. Chapter 5: The Chromas

Ernaut woke up for another day. Today was going to be the day that he would use his bag of gold that he had been saving up from chores and services to buy a new present for his parents, which is going to be what his parents wanted. This was one of those days where people take breaks from work to go shopping for their families.

"Hey, I'm going out to buy something valuable, what do you want?" Ernaut asked.

"I would like that one ruby ring that I saw in the jewelry market. Believe or not, it is valuable. As kids before you were even born, we favored gemstones and jewels. When you went into that mine, you couldn't just mine one yourself? Oh wait, you didn't have any tools, and you weren't even licensed to find proper gemstones. Anyways, I think with that amount of gold you can buy that ruby ring. " Noah replied.

Ernaut with his gold savings bought that one red ring. Because he also had some gold left, he figured he'd also buy something for his goals. He looked at the archivist market and saw the following;

"Legends of the Nexus, History of Castlemore, Grace of Gabriella?" Ernaut pointed out at the last scroll, which looked like something that one wouldn't even know in the Nexus.

"Yeah, umm, can I buy Grace of Gabriella?" Ernaut said, to the archivist running the market.

"Yep, but that's our most expensive. Why you may ask? Well, we apparently only cover Nexusian archives, and any non-Nexusian archives tend to be more expensive because they're harder to preserve. "Grace of Gabriella will cost you 800 pieces of gold, while everything else that is Nexusian will range from 50 pieces of gold to 100 pieces of gold.

"Here you go!" Ernaut lended at 800 gold or 32 gold quarters. Ernaut spent 700 on the ring, and he spent 800 on the scroll. At first he had around 1800 gold, which makes him at around 300 gold left.

"Hey! What's going on?" Ernaut said to the running townspeople that sounded like someone was invading the place, until he saw the biggest sight he'd never witnessed in his life; a house that was destroyed to pieces. No, this was no ordinary house by some guy that Ernaut didn't even care about, this was Ernaut's house.

The house of where Ernaut's family was in ruins. The walls were destroyed, and the only thing left was the floor and some ruined down stuff. What could've caused this house to be destroyed? The other houses bordering the house were slightly damaged for a bit, but not beyond repair. Ernaut was angry about it, so angry that he wanted revenge as he closed both hands like fists with a tremor in himself.

"So, you're focusing on your anger, and you want to get revenge! That gives me an new magic to unlock! Imagine being able to box out the monsters until the end…" Karin said to Ernaut because his emotions reflected into Karin's mind. Ernaut closed his eyes and began to imagine himself destroying evils with his hands...

Out of the back of Ernaut's neck then came spiritual-form fists that would line up with his hands and mimic his hand movements, such as punches or even hand gestures.

"I call this, the Spirit Fist! Now, you can fight the monsters using the Spirit Fist. The Needle does low amounts of damage on larger enemies, but the Fist will do more damage in exchange for range."

Several white-ghosted monsters came out of the ruins, ready to fight Ernaut once and for all.

"These are Chromas, your first major fight. They are ghosts that seek to hunt down the Tear of Heaven, and prevent you from carrying on your dreams to freedom, but if you take on your new Spirit Fists, you'll be able to take those down!"

"Alright Karin, let's see what it takes to take down those Chromas!" Ernaut used his hands to imitate fist-fight, and with Karin summoning out fist strikes in the colors of Heaven. "I, Ernaut, am proud to destroy the evils within, and seek what it takes to never give up!" Ernaut did fist after fist, dispelling the Chromas, but after defeating the Chromas, Karin absorbed the magic they were dispelled to.

"What is this? Some sort of spirit energy to unravel? Looks like I could use this spirit energy to regenerate myself! The more Chromas you fight, the more easily it takes to unlock my ultimate potential!"

Ernaut managed to dispel all of the Chromas. Ernaut felt victorious in his avengeance towards his fallen parents. However, in the ruins, his parents were missing, as if they were either been kidnapped or teleported away. Unfortunately, the battle between Ernaut and the Chromas later got out in public, with witnesses such as Shion, Wally, and various townspeople in shock.

"That guy must be a monster!" Get him out of here!" Wally said, seeing on how Ernaut fought against the Chromas. "This guy must be a possessor of witchcraft or something like that. I've never seen such deadly magics like that!"

"Yeah, that guy is relying on witchcraft to be famous, while in reality it's more fun to rely on himself to fight off monsters! And he's getting what he deserves!" Shion laughed.

"No no no, I am no witchcraft or monster. I am the new Spirit of Heaven, ready to fight off new monsters and grant myself great wisdom that you really need to learn about." Ernaut protested.

"Whatever you're saying, we told you many times we don't care on whatever shenanigans you and that woman had with the Comet Caller. You look like you could be associated with that Comet Caller guy, because I knew you fell for the purple crystal which was just a crystal from the purple comet!"

"Enough! Ernaut! Because of how you're attracting those mysterious white ghosts and how you were fighting them. I have you put up for witch trials. Your witch trial is on-" Wally stopped, only to realize that Ernaut and Karin had already disappeared. "Hey, where did he go?"

"He's disappeared into the woods! Without even a sound!" One of the townsfolk said.

Ernaut and Karin spent a while hiding out in the forest north of Castlemore. They couldn't have thought about anything possible like that. Why would the Chromas attack Ernaut's home? Were they looking for his parents based on their own beliefs, or even himself? In his backpack, Ernaut pulled out the crystal shell that Karin originated from, or formerly known as the Tear of Heaven before it was unlocked. He also looked the ring he always wanted to give to his parents even as a little kid. He regretted that he lost his parents in the wake of while he was shopping.

"Sometimes I think of myself, I have to think of a better day. Often times, it's the goal that you seek, it's the dreams that you seek. Ernaut, don't fall forth to the Chromas… I'm counting on you." Ernaut said himself a prayer in order to try to make him cheer up to make him dream of a better day. He hoped he done the right thing, but…

"Ernaut, I'm detecting someone approaching you-" Karin tried to warn Ernaut of someone approaching him with a hammer and apprehending him, but Ernaut was apprehended before Karin could finish her warning.

Ernaut woke up in what looked like a small conference room. There were only two lights, one on both sides of the room consisting of glowstone. Wally was sitting on the other side of the table. He looked like he was demanding answers from Ernaut.

"So, Ernaut, you have been somehow summoning these magical fists where what looked like your destroyed house. You destroyed those white ghosts. What's wrong with you, like what's going on here that's causing those white ghost guys to appear?" Wally asked.

"Well, there was this shooting star. I'm going to tell you, and honestly I really did I went forth for that shooting star and got it." Ernaut replied.

"And what did you find from that shooting star? Some sort of mysterious object that we don't know or never heard of?"

"Yes, I found the crystal known as the Tear of Heaven. And to tell you the truth, the Tear of Heaven wanted a hero to go forth east to serve the Comet Caller justice."

"Why would it go this far? Unless it's looking for heroes nationwide, I can surely tell you from this far, none of this is going to happen. Unless you got some really good answers which must be delved deeper into the situation."

"As for the Chromas, they're a new mysterious monster which we have no evidence of, but they are ghosts which can only be defeated by the power of dreams and peace. You don't "fight" a ghost, you imagine of good dreams and hopes."

"And how did you get those mysterious powers?"

"I know this might sound strange, but the spirit inside the Tear of Heaven requested that I become the Tear's hero, so I accepted it and I got it's power, but the Tear of Heaven blacked out, and I still have it with me, but I get to unlock some new powers. Quiet footsteps, ability to fight monsters, increase my awareness, you know."

"I don't understand that. Ernaut, because I cannot understand how're your doing such things, I'm issuing you witch trials no matter what. Your witch trial is 2 days because tomorrow's court will be busy investigating potential evidence of what happened to those mysterious ghost things, and you're home. Did you lose your parents from those ghosts?"

"Yes, yes in did. Right when I came to those ruins, they were never seen again. I don't know if they're been kidnapped or something like that, but I need to continue that deeper as I go."

"Okay Ernaut, you may go, but remember, if we can't find any potential truths we can believe on your witch trial, we're taking your head." Ernaut jumped at the execution part.

"Did you say… take my head?"

"Yes. Because of your vague reasoning and cryptic reasoning of those mysterious powers, you're on the lower end of the canoe, and that canoe is going down the river! I'm just saying that."

Ernaut left the town hall. Ernaut didn't know what to do, where to go. His home had already been destroyed, his parents had been taken. There was nowhere left to go for Ernaut, nothing to do but to wait for death in two days. It was already night-time.

"Psst… come here." Janice said, hiding in the alley. Ernaut decided to follow to the alley that Janice called Ernaut.

"Ernaut, I saw the Chromas attack your buildings and abduct your parents. I got a plan, and that is staying in my house in secret. That way, I can give you a temporary shelter in the meantime. Because of how you're being put up for witch trials, because of how unused they are to Aruku and the Tear of Heaven, it's very unlikely you'll be able to live following the witch trials. Hear, take this hood and this mask. This will conceal your identity so the townsfolk don't even see you."

They went into Janice's estate safely with the help of the disguises without any night guards catching them.

"So, Ernaut, here's the plan. You're going to stay here temporary, not permanent. You're going to stay here until you find yourself a plan to continue on your quest or they catch us. In the meantime, let's talk about the mysterious new threat that destroyed your home. So, what happened?"

"Well, I was shopping, but when I came back, my house was destroyed, and then came for those white ghosts. They tried to attack me, but I was able to use the fists from my Spirit of Heaven to destroy them. As well as beliefs for the soul."

"Ah yes! The white ghosts. I believe what was going on is that I believe when the Shades were defeated, they took the light side instead of the dark side. Simple as that, and nightmares and ill omens would create those light Shades. What should I call those light Shades now?"

"Chromas. Nickname them Chromas. That's what the new manifestations are."

"You have been cracking further and further into this new threat. Now, I think you're kind of queasy in your head. Did some guy hit you with a hammer? Some guy carried you in the town hall from the forest north, and I think he had done that by apprehending your head."

"Yeah, I felt a bit of pain on my head which sent me in a coma, but I'm alright though. I think I need to go to bed and talk to the Spirit of Heaven privately.

"Okay, good night then! Remember, I have a spare bedroom on the east. I take the west larger bedroom just to clear up any potential confusion.

"That's okay, I'm fine with it."

Ernaut got ready to go to bed, but before he could go to bed, he wanted to talk with Karin for a bit in private.

"So, what's with those Chromas, and why are they here?"

"Chromas, the reincarnated Shades reborn out of the light and dark fusing together. Upon fusing dark and light together, they reflect colors through it like a spectrum, and it blends in through. The only way you can ever see them is the spectrum lights inside their hearts. That's what they are, new versions. There are four ranks of them; Rooks, Princes, Kings, and even the most deadly of them all; Omegas. We have to hurry and hunt down their secret source and who is tracing us. One of the major issues on Shades and even Chromas is the Crimson Shore and ill omens. Chromas and Shades are ultimately known for one thing; evil dreams. In fact, nobody like evil dreams. Aruku fought against Shades, especially larger ones but no Omegas. The more powerful the evil dream is, the more the Shade evolves."

"Thanks, and what else you do you know about yourself? That way, I can clear up some mysterious backstory?."

"After I was discarded in favor of some Call of the Comet that Aruku bowed down to, I was abandoned, but I was later on taken by a mysterious entity who enchanted me, but I have no memory or description of that entity who enchanted me. Prior to that, I had no sentinel powers, I could only talk with a small voice."

"Okay, that's all I needed to know." Ernaut got ready to spend the night at Janice's estate. Even though he lost his parents, that doesn't mean Ernaut shouldn't give up on his mission and dreams.


	6. Chapter 6: The Quest Begins

It has been an day since Ernaut lost his parents, and he was caught for witchcraft by Wally. Janice had let him stay in her estate until he knows what to do next, but what? He didn't know for sure, but what Ernaut wanted to keep in mind was that there was still hope for him; could there be anyone else who was still interested in the Tear of Heaven, or even the Comet?

"The Chromas seem to be hunting for me. They took my family, and this power seems to be attracting some sort of monster that would cast dark magic altogether. Janice once told me that these were the evolved versions of the Shades, later adapting light rather than darkness." Ernaut explained to himself over the day. "Since my trial is tomorrow which likely means I'll be executed to death, I have till today to plan my next move." The door leading out to the foyer was still closed, but Ernaut still wanted some time alone with Karin.

"I heard that your trial is tomorrow. You have around today to live. Unless you've got yourself some sort of plan to escape. I'll be fine with you staying in here for a while." Janice said, greeting Ernaut in the morning.

"Yes. Also, keep in mind that the Spirit of Heaven will also be on the lookout of what's happening outside, so I can be aware of the newest things that they've planned. She even warned me of a night-howler!"

"I see. I think you've got your plan for tomorrow, and that is to get away from Castlemore as soon as they grab you for your so-called execution."

Ernaut got dressed with his same uniform that he had today. He couldn't even save anything from his house. He still had Grace of Gabriella, the red ring that his parents wanted to buy, and the shell where Karin used to be. In fact, he was trapped inside, because if he dared to go outside himself, he always had the fear that he would be hunted down for being the new boy of witchcraft, which is currently illegal in the Nexus, and never ever supported at all. Janice had already curtained all the windows so no one can see him from outside the house, as if to hide him from anyone hunting him.

"So Ernaut, what are you going to do now? What is your plan for your next destination?"

"I'm going to escape from Castlemore, and out of the Nexus to find my way east. That way, I can solve the Comet's puzzle and find out more about Aruku."

"But who's gonna take you? No one is going to. In fact, barely anyone knows or even cares about going east!"

"I'm going to adapt to what the Tear of Heaven has for me, and that way if I trust hard in my dreams, I will surely make it."

"I highly doubt it, because the only powers I know is that you have a fist ability, and a needle ability? What else have you got?"

"I have the ability for identification of animals and species, and to render myself quiet to avoid being detected. I think there's more abilities I have to unlock through my training and adventures."

"I understand. Some of these powers are going to be important for your journey, but are they unlimited or not?"

"No, they are not. These powers exhaust the Tear of Heaven, and to recover these you have to fight Chromas, because the Tear of Heaven originally was a crystal shard from the Comet."

"So, what are you going to do now? You're stuck here, and everyone else is looking for you because of unidentified witchcraft that they cannot identify."

"I'm going to explore your estate so I can gain some more knowledge about the eastern region; the region where the Comet is located. We live on the west side of Teya, and the comet is on the east side."

Ernaut explored Janice's estate for a while so he can at least get some fresh air. Upon looking around on the walls, he saw a painting called "Fall of Gabriella", which represented a blue-turquoise haired woman being tempted by a holy ghost, or the Chromas as they call them now. Ernaut felt like he was interested as well, so he decided to ask Janice about it.

"The Fall of Gabriella? What's that?" Ernaut asked Janice about her painting.

"Ahh yes! The paintings! Gabriella was a queen that wanted to help others in need. What made her so lovable was her really long and beautiful hair, and the fact that she lead a tribe for the sake of loyalty and kindness!

"Oh, I get it. Gabriella lead a tribe to lead through the glory of her own people, while Aruku did the opposite. She believes pretty well in dreams, so she and her people should be safe from the Chromas. If she's still around though. Oh, and I did at least save a scroll called Grace of Gabriella in my backpack, which I also bought from the archivist. Since this was not Nexusian, it's more expensive.

"You have a scroll of Gabriella? If so, let's read it!"

Ernaut pulled out the scroll labeled "Grace of Gabriella" out of his backpack. Janice then unfolded it and began to read it.

"Ah yes! Gabriella! She is the queen of the Haven Tribe. In response to Aruku bowing down to the Call of the Comet, she then decided to create the Haven Tribe to take refugee for people across the land. They are against the Comet, and even those Shades as well, or should I say Chromas for now? She worked very hard, but I think according to the painting, Gabriella was seduced by a Chroma and had been killed by it, hence the term Fall of Gabriella. I don't know if that is true or not, but that's something you have to find out on your own."

"Alright then. That's all I know, but let's talk about my goals. I have a goal to travel east and try to work things out with the Comet and Aruku, but first of all, that's not going to be easy. The first thing I would have to figure out is how to even get there. No one's willing to even take me east, because why would they? Secondly, is how to find my way east, I have to work hard to find my way east, which only me and the Tear of Heaven could work hard to accomplish. Thirdly, I also have to watch out for anyone that tries to get in my way, because as you know, they're planning to execute me tomorrow, and most of the people in the Nexus are going to turn against me as well. It's basically just me, me and the Tear of Heaven trying to find our way east."

"Oh, I see a poem in the end of the scroll. We should read it;" Janice pointed out at the end of the scroll that they were reading together, only to see a poem of text. Was it, a tribute for Gabriella?

Grace blooms in the land of heaven  
The heavenly land of the new Haven  
Where freedom rang upon the people  
Is this new freedom for everyone  
Or some paradise no one could dream for  
For a new land to change everything  
The Grace of Gabriella is heaven for us

To look forward to a new dream  
A new dream to make people happy  
A dream that would sing out for freedom  
And bring joy to the fallen world  
The fallen world of evil spirits  
Who wish to overthrow the balance  
The balance of the world around us  
The Grace of Gabriella gives us new hope

Gabriella, the queen of the new Haven  
The queen that seeks to revive prosperity  
Her long turquoise hair brimmed with beauty  
And her beauty makes her passionate  
She wants to lead her people to world peace  
World peace across the land  
That would change the world for good  
A change that would be looked upon  
The Grace of Gabriella will lead to peace

To seek out world peace across the land  
Is not an easy thing to do however  
But a goal is a goal for Gabriella  
She can do it if she keeps on going  
Ambition is what makes a goal succeed  
Succeed to new heights and realities  
Success can become a dream come true  
No one wants to be left out on their goals  
So come on down and make that goal succeed  
The Grace of Gabriella is a dream come true

"So this is a poem, representing Gabriella's beauty and dreams to lead people to higher dreams, likely to spread a word of a good heroine for the job. I see it, I can see it, Gabriella was a heroine, but like I said, I don't know if she's still alive today. You're still going to have to find that out on your own when you get to the east."

"I get it. What are you going to do now? What will happen to you now that I am being put up for execution tomorrow?"

"I believe I might as well also be in the same boat in you. Keep in mind, we're the only people in the Castlemore that care about Aruku, the Tear of Heaven, and the Comet. Why didn't anyone else care? They weren't interested in threats and tales that weren't even important to them, because as you know, people feel like they're way too far or too unknown to them to even care, but we care about them."

"Thank you. Do you know anyone else that is willing to help us out?"

"Genevie. She's a woman I just met down in Darum Forest to look for information about the eastern region. You want to read that letter I have on the table with the two chairs."

Ernaut grabbed the letter and it said;

"Janice. Thank you for coming to me, I am ordered not to uphold any more information to the public, but I will tell you some private information. Some mysterious man came to us and warned the world about Aruku obtaining the blessing of the Comet, and the fear of it spreading to other nations, but no one listened. Perhaps he wanted others to help out those in need, I never saw that guy again, but I heard that people are making things up to hide this strange guy's traces. If you want, you can come on down to my estate down in Darum Forest. I am willing to give you more evidence about the Epoch of the Comet. Hopefully, I'll find someone who is willing to help out those in need in the world."

"Oh, Genevie. Perhaps I could meet her down in Darum Forest for help. That is, until I get my opportunity to get out of there, but until then, I'm still cabin fevering this house for a while."

"Ernaut, I think you should think over it with the Tear of Heaven for a while. We had quite a bit to talk about, but I think there are times where you leave it to me, some to the Tear of Heaven."

"Okay, thanks for all of your help. Tomorrow, I have to plan my next move, because I know they're going to execute me tomorrow, but I also need to go into a private talk with the Tear of Heaven for a while in my room." Ernaut went back to the room Janice gave him in her estate, and then closed the door, checked the windows's curtains to make sure that they were closed. After that, Ernaut was already tired for a bit. He was stuck inside Janice's estate, but he wanted another talk with Karin right now, so he snapped to initiate Karin out of stasis.

"Karin, I need a break, but I want to know something; if you could pick a hero, why would you choose me for example, even though I'm already pressurized by my peers?" Ernaut asked.

"Don't fret on it, you have much bigger situations. It's best advice to get past any obstacles that try to get into your way, and always aim for your dream that you want to accomplish. That's what it takes to stop the Chromas, but your life is going to change forever. I was going to warn you earlier about that one guy, but he was too fast for me to even finish my message. In fact, this is what I am, a Spirit of Heaven. I fact am to guide people through their adventures on whoever finds me. Guide to a newer destiny to change the world. That's important for our world.

"I do understand. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face consequences and learn how to adapt to different risks and challenges. In fact, that's what I started. This consequence all started when I fought against the Chromas for the first time. It's about time I begin my quest, the quest for the world of Teya, the quest that would change the face of the world forever, and that would affect everyone."

"Honestly, it's going to take a lot of accomplishment, but I know you would never give up on anything that stands in your way, no matter what happens or how rough it is. You had quite a rough time with your lost parents and people mistreating you. I think you should rest, and you should plan your move for tomorrow."

"Very well, I think that is a good idea. Tomorrow, my plan is to get away from Castlemore as soon as I can, and find my way east. I'll make sure to get past every obstacle I see, whether it be Chromas or any townspeople trying to kill me."

"Goodnight Ernaut, sleep well! I'll still be here to protect you, because even while I'm stasis, I still have my senses!" Karin wished Ernaut sweet dreams for the night, ready for his new journey that begins tomorrow..


	7. Chapter 7: Ernaut's Run

Ernaut was jolted awake by the sudden opening of his bedroom door that he temporary got while staying with Janice. Janice looked like she was a panic.

"Ernaut, I have bad news for you. You cannot stay here any longer. You have to get moving!"

"What is it? Are they after you? Or even myself?"

"Oh, this is miserable! I saw that people were chatting about you, and they threatened to silence anything about Aruku or even the Tear of Heaven. To make matters worse, I found this out on my front door;" Janice pulled out a flyer that said "Wanted: Ernaut; Boy Who Possess Witchcraft and Associates with Comet Caller. Reward is 100 diamonds for whoever brings him into justice." Ernaut's heart boiled in response. He was paranoid. Have all of the people of the Nexus lost respect in him for being so heroic with such exotic magical arts?

"Oh great, what am I supposed to do?"

"Go with the Tear of Heaven away as possible. There should be a witch down in Darum Forest that could help you and guide you whatever you need. She's a good archivist and collector of the eastern tribes. Run away as far as you can. Don't come back to Castlemore!"

"Isn't witchcraft illegal in the Nexus? Why would she help me? Oh, were you referring to Genevie from the letter? "

"I think she's a rural witch that lives in the wilderness somewhere in the Nexus. She's authenticated, because she's identified, but for you with the Tear of Heaven, it's impossible to identify you because it's impossible for them to craft a proper thesis that is believable. So far, believing in the Tear of Heaven requires outer knowledge that doesn't originate from the Nexus, so it would be impossible for Wally to even crack it, unless if they believed in Aruku, the Tear of Heaven, and the Comet, but they don't. She would help you because she actually believes in those stuff because as you know, that witch is a collector of archives and information from outside the Nexus. I met her one time to learn more about the Epoch of the Comet, which I think is what you heard of when you read that letter."

"And… what's going to happen to you?"

"Ernaut, you have no home, and I believe I cannot help you anymore because they, under my extreme knowledge of the Tear of Heaven and your own possession, believe that I am related to you. In fact, you and I care the most. I wish you the best of luck what is happening to me right now, and your goals for the future." Janice's last words, before being carried away by the sheriff's guards of Castlemore.

Ernaut escaped out from the backyard of Janice's house during that meantime Janice was being taken by guards.

"Ernaut, what are you doing?" Karin said. "This is no time for escaping!"

"Yes it is. They're hunting me down and any others associated with me. We have no time to lose!" Ernaut said. "I heard that they're putting wanted signs for me as a possessor of witchcraft. They even went further by making my head worth 100 diamonds of currency!"

"Ernaut, this is no time-" Ernaut forced Karin into a stasis by snapping her into stasis, because he didn't want to be bothered by her. Not to mention, there are times where it's a good time for Ernaut to have Karin out, and times where's it's not. Ernaut went outside of the backyard, climbed over the fencing and got into the outside suburb areas. In fact, Ernaut never went to her backyard yesterday, likely due to his fear of being exposed.

"There he is! Catch him!" A voice said, that is likely the townspeople trying to catch him and earn their wanted reward; money, power, all that good stuff!

"I better get away! Karin! Listen, I am trying to evacuate from the townspeople. I don't want to fight them, I just want to get away from them. Now, let's plan our escape route!"

"Okay, Ernaut, changing plans. Now making you silent from any movement." Karin said, using one of her powers to ensure that Ernaut can evade the townspeople from killing him. The people were still running towards him, but Ernaut ran towards the forest in front of him, was it enough to even stop them.

"Hey! Where did he go?" the person with the pitchfork said. "How are we going to get our fill? Our money? Oh man, this guy is just too strong!" Another townsfolk complained as well.

"Hold it. It seems like we know where Ernaut is going now. He wants to find some real evidence so we can believe him, because he's got the superstition that we're going to execute him for doing an impossible witch trial which allegedly is impossible for us. He's heading on down to Genevie's estate down in Darum Forest. From what I've read in the letter, Genevie knows a lot more about the Comet Caller than us. I will soon interrogate Genevie. You hold the mob, because I want to settle the score with her, so I can prove that Genevie knows about the Comet Caller and what to do next." Wally said, approaching in front of the mob that was already ready to capture Ernaut and get their reward; being rich forever.

Ernaut quickly ran, and ran through the forest with the of help of Karin's silencer power, which helped him render his footsteps and movement quieter to where no one can track him.

"Where am I going? I seem to be lost. I don't know where I'm going." Ernaut said. He was already on the chase from the townspeople trying to apprehend him to gain their reward for hunting down the target. In fact, Ernaut was supposed to head his way to Darum Forest to meet Genevie, but where was he? There were no signs, and there were only trees everywhere.

"Karin, keep track of what's going on around me. Also, alert me of any possible threats." Ernaut commanded.

"Confirmed. You are lost in an unknown forest. No threats detected around you on my radar." Karin replied. Karin was scanning quite hard, and it has detected no threats so far; has Ernaut finally lost the townspeople from his perspective?

"I think I'm safe now, I think I should continue on walking and see if I can find any hope around here. Karin, you keep doing your thing, okay?"

Ernaut kept on walking through the forest with Karin focusing on possible trouble of what could get in his way. Eventually, he stumbled upon on what he could make off to be an abandoned temple. Could he find some potential clues of what just happened to that temple, or is it some abandoned place with mostly nothing of interest for him?

"I believe I came across this place. This abandoned temple. Looks like I could find some clues in there." Ernaut said, entering the wooden door of the abandoned temple. The interiors of the abandoned temple inside consisted of cobwebs everywhere. The wood tables were dusty as much, as if this place had been run down for months.

"Whoa, this is something I wouldn't even see every day. I need to investigate what has still remained."

Upon searching around, Ernaut found a diary that looked like it was written before the temple was abandoned.

"What is this mysterious sight? These white holy ghosts. I saw one of them kill one my fellow men. Even worse, none of our weapons could even pierce them to their deaths. These are ghosts, not real monsters. Still though, I don't even have a proper weapon, and as you know, these guys don't die over time. They're spirits, not actual monsters. I don't know what to do."

"So these guys were victims of Chromas to? Could there be a Chroma around here?" Ernaut wondered after reading the diary. He knew that there was a Chroma for him to destroy.

"Ernaut, I'm detecting a Chroma upon in the end of the temple where the other exit is. It's invisible, so you're going to have to provoke it. Maybe use your fists to lure it?"

"Will do. If I'm going to catch that Chroma, I must have a strong omen in myself." Ernaut threw a few punches with Karin's magic, and then the Chroma appeared.

"Alright you Chroma! Take this, and that!" Ernaut did a few fist strikes against the Chroma, dispelling it. The Chroma was an easy job for Ernaut.

"Alright Karin, check if they're following us again!"

"This time, I can sense some of the townspeople tracking your steps into this temple. You have to keep running!"

"Alright you Ernaut! It's time I gotcha!" Shion said, who was one of the major people on the mob against Ernaut.

"I gotta run!" Ernaut got out of the temple and continued to run through the forest with the mob still chasing him. It looked like it was going to go on forever, but then… another Chroma formed out of the forest. Was it trying to go for Ernaut or buy anyone time?

"Jeepers! What is that?" Shion said. However, Ernaut had to buy some time for it. While Shion and the mob are confronting against the Chroma, Ernaut went on running and running.

"I have no idea, looks like some sort of ghost to me! I'm so frightened!"

"Seriously? Let's fight this guy with you know, swords and stuff like that!" Shion suggested.

None of the people even made a move about it, they were instead frightened.

"Come on! Are you going to just stand around or what?" Shion was angry that the mob was being disobedient, but then the Chroma started attacking the mob and also knocking them out.

"Retreat! Retreat! This ghost is unstoppable!" one of the townspeople said.

"You know it man, Ernaut, if you can listen to this, I'll never stop on my mission to get your head, and this head will be worth a huge fortune to me!" Shion was resistant, and he felt like even if the townspeople wouldn't help, he would still keep on going.

Ernaut ran and ran and ran, until he finally saw that looked like a house with a glowstone lamp in front on it. Was the house, the house of Genevie as Janice mentioned in the letter? Ernaut walked up to the house, and knocked on it.

"Who is it now?" A female voice said from the door in response to the knocking.

"It's me, Ernaut, and the Tear of Heaven! I need your help!"

"Tear of Heaven? Do you have it? Are you interested in Aruku and the Comet?"

"Yeah, I unlocked it. Do you know about unlocking Tears?"

"Oh, I heard you are the guy who is being on execution date. Sure, I'll let you in, and I have some evidence for Wally and Shion that would help you on your journey."

"Oh, are you Genevie by the way?"

"Yes, yes I am. You knew that from Janice, right?"

"Ah yes! The letter. When my house was destroyed by the Chromas, I was forced to stay at Janice's estate because she was the only other person I knew in Castlemore that supported finding out more about Aruku and the Comet."

Ernaut entered Genevie's estate. There were books on the foyer, and an cauldron room on the east. Genevie was the witch that collected more archives about the east than anyone else.

"So, you got any information about unlocking tears where the Tears' powers carry over to your body?" Ernaut asked.

"Ahh yes! I have it from this scroll; The Tear of Heaven. This scroll tells about the Tear of Heaven, a crystal that would grant the user great wisdom, but if the person were to unlock the Tear, the Tear's powers would be bound to their bodies forever, and if that body dies, the powers would be released back into the Tear."

"Oh. Looks like unless I can find something important, I'm stuck with the Tear of Heaven, but I'm fine with it. It helped me through different situations, such as rendering myself quiet, and even killing a night howler!"

"I see. Ultimately, now you know what is going on, these tears have the ability to unlock their full potential to people's souls. If they do this right, they can later ascend to change Teya forever!"

"Ernaut, I think Shion's on his way-"

"I think that's Shion! Hold Shion, I'll go upstairs into your bedroom and hide!" Ernaut said, walking upstairs.

"Shion? Who's Shion? Is he the guy that represented arrogance over you, especially when you got the Tear of Heaven? I heard he's planning on taking your head to win money."

"Yeah. He's number one in terms of popularity. He even hunted the biggest of the game, and even defended Castlemore from any monsters that dare to attack the people. I'll be heading upstairs, and you go prove him right!" Ernaut hoped that Genevie could proof to Shion that the unlocking the Tear of Heaven could be believable in order for him to stop.

Genevie opened the door and there revealed to be Shion. He was angry, intimidating to Genevie herself.

"Whoa there. Calm down. Now, state your business." Genevie stated to Shion's angry introduction at her door.

"Where is Ernaut? You know, this guy who has witchcraft we cannot identify?" Shion said back. He was determined to win the money reward, and he even had an copy of the wanted poster of Ernaut and the reward being held on his hand.

"Wait a second, are you trying to harass this guy just because he got the Tear of Heaven? That's called standing up for their beliefs. If you want some real evidence, I got a scroll you should read. It is possible for people to unlock the Tear of Heaven. To tell you the truth, Ernaut unlocked the Tear of Heaven so it's bound to his body, but there's no way right now to remove it."

"Oh, the Tear of Heaven is in his body and he can't remove it. I understand, but that's still not going to stop me from trying to get his head and get my salary!"

"If you dare try to kill him, I'm not going to accept you in."

"Tell me where he is, or else!"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to settle this the hard way. If all you're going to do is try to pressure me to kill Ernaut just because he got the Tear of Heaven and fighting against the Comet, you're not welcome here. Go away." Genevie slammed the door. She didn't want Shion inside his estate.

"Fine, I'll head back to Castlemore, but Ernaut, this is not done yet! Sooner or later, I'm going full-fledged on you!" Shion came up with a plan to kill Ernaut and get his reward.

"I heard that!" Genevie said, from behind the door. "I might as well cast my spell; and that spell is the Magic Guardian. A Magic Guardian is a summoning I use to protect me from the night from monsters and beasts. If you dare bust this door down, I'm going to summon a Magic Guardian to take care of you."

"Fine, I'm leaving!" Shion walked away from the door back to Castlemore to plan with Wally and the townsfolk for a new plan.

"Ernaut, it's safe to come down now!" Genevie said to Ernaut, who was still hiding in her bedroom.

"Did you… did you repel him?" Ernaut asked.

"Yes, I managed to talk this guy out of it. He walked away. I even warned this guy if he dares to attack you, it's going to be a unacceptable taste for me, especially when I also support fighting against the Comet. All these other guys seem to care about, is getting your head just because you got the Tear of Heaven, which was them to be unidentified witchcraft. What we care about, is taking care of the Comet, and changing Teya forever. We want a world that represents peace and prosperity, not violence and prejudice where you ignore others in need."

"Hey, I think I got an extra scroll for you. It's called Grace of Gabriella, and I bought it at the market. It talks about a woman named Gabriella, a woman that wanted to fight for prosperity in her own tribe."

"You do? Let me see."

Ernaut pulled out the scroll from his backpack, and Genevie began to read it.

"This is some real attempt to try to bring peace and prosperity. I don't know if she's successful. Did you find anything else about her?"

"I only saw a painting in Janice's estate that represented her fall to the Chromas. I don't know if that was from someone's imagination or it actually happened, but I highly doubt it."

"I don't think so. Gabriella would never fall for a Chroma, what would cause her to do that?"

"I don't see how would they. Chromas are in fact like the Shades from the past; they are monsters said to originate from nightmares."

"Gabriella is an aspiring queen. The Haven Tribe always tried to fight for freedom, dreams, and representing kindness to their people. You recall when Aruku got the blessing from that Comet by sacrificing her Hawk Tribe? That was bloody, but legend says that whoever gets the blessing of the Comet gets to use its powers to their advantage, I don't know if this is true or not. But Gabriella's motives were true; she and Aruku were polar opposites; Gabriella supported freedom, happiness, and prosperity, while Aruku only went for power, being selfish, and tyranny. What is like, being someone that doesn't help others in need?"

"I would imagine that it wouldn't be quite happy."

Ernaut let out a sigh. He was almost beat from all those running and being chased from the townspeople, but at least he got a friend to accompany him for a while.

"Ernaut, you look tired, what's the matter?"

"I was being chased by a mob who wanted to take my head and earn the salary. The townspeople all wanted the money, so they banded together to form a mob against me. They even went forth to create wanted posters out of me and reward whoever gets my head 100 diamonds. I was going to be put in witch trials in court, but Wally didn't believe in anything he said, because he never even cared about Aruku or the Tear of Heaven, only myself and the Nexus. Thankfully, I lost the mob thanks to a Chroma to the rescue. I think these guys are just entering our land, and the only way to take care of these is to foresee healthy omens, yet the mobs think they can take care of this with weapons and stuff. You can't kill ghosts with physical violence."

"I see. You should get some rest, I'll deliver a message to Wally to tell him to halt the execution and you can...Wait a second, was your house destroyed by the Chromas? Is that how they knew about the Tear of Heaven?

"Yes, I was shopping for Grace of Gabriella and a ruby ring only to find my house was destroyed. There were some Chromas, and was able to beat them with the help of the Tear of Heaven, and my healthy omens. They were shocked at my powers; and my parents were missing. I don't know if they're killed or something like that, I don't even know, but that's something I also have to find out in the future."

"Fine, I'll deliver the message, I have two Guardians, I'll be bringing one to accompany me on the way if the mob comes for me or even Shion returns to try and kill me, the other Guardian will in fact protect the house for any intruders, okay?"

"I'm okay. You do have a place for me to sleep, right?"

"You can sleep in my dual bedroom. Like Janice, I support others in need, and I do in fact care about history and legends outside of the Nexus, because public opinion has been on the rise that wanted people to focus more on the Nexus, because if it wasn't important to them, it was mostly a don't bother to them."

"Okay thank you Genevie! I'll meet you in the bedroom upstairs."

Ernaut walked back upstairs to Genevie's bedroom. There was a 2nd bedroom, one for guests and the other for Genevie. Ernaut took the guest bed and went to sleep.

"That was a very compassionate woman I saw." Karin said.

"Genevie? Yeah. She's willing to collect evidence and clues about Aruku and the Comet, and my quest continues tomorrow with her, depending on how long I can last until these guys threaten me again. In fact, that's called prejudice, where you harm others with no mercy whatsoever based on their own choices and beliefs. I believe in Aruku and the Comet, while these people just believe in the Nexus. I want some sleep now, I'm beat from all that chasing, and I wanted some sleep."

"Before I can wish you good night, I'm going to ask you one more thing; if the Nexus was farwest, how are we going to go east where the Comet is?"

"I believe this is going to require some bit of thinking right now. Keep in mind, some answers change, and some answers are static. Still though, I don't know what I'm going to do yet.

"Don't know what to do? You're my chosen one, and I do in fact understand that often times, you don't even know the answers. I know it's ain't going to be easy but… you can't just let a goal down because it's too difficult.

"Keep in mind Karin, this is only the beginning of things, and I'm going to have to explore all around the Nexus to find the answer that I want. We're going to explore all around the Nexus to find the possible answer, and I'm going to avoid Castlemore at all costs, because I don't know if the mob is still after me!"

"I got it. I can protect you even though a mob can hunt you down. I have several powers you have yet to unlock on your journey, which will be fulfilled through different challenges along the way. Oh, you said you wanted some sleep?"

"Yeah, I'm tired. I need to sleep."

"Anyways, let's call it a day, so good night!" Karin wished a second sweet dreams to Ernaut. Today was a rough day for Ernaut, he had escaped from Castlemore from an angry mob, and even teamed up with Genevie for a new hiding place for now. Even though he already trusted Genevie, there was still more to his quest; finding the way east.

Some time later, Genevie finally arrived home. She looked like she wanted to tell Ernaut something, so she walked upstairs to her bedroom where Ernaut was already sleeping. She gave him a pat on the head while he was sleeping.

Ernaut gasped. "Genevie? What is it?"

"I finally got the message to Wally."

"And what did he say?"

"He said he's still going to propose killing you, even though he finally knows the truth behind the Tear of Heaven. He even said that is best for himself to not bow to any non-Nexusian artifact, because the procedures would be unknown to him. Even though he said that, I still think Wally is mentally challenged on the outside world."

"And did the mob get you?"

"No. They must've stopped right after Shion gave up. I believe they're coming up with different strategies on how to get that wanted salary dealt with."

"And what are you going to do? They've taken Janice as well, and this is where I had to escape to your estate for help."

"Janice was that other woman that was interested in the outside world as well. In fact, that's what we favor the most. Janice was my pen pal; we would write letters back and forth to tell about important details and legends confidential to each other, which would delivered by pigeons as well!"

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow. Today has been quite a day."

"My plan for tomorrow is, we will investigate your powers, and we will aim to fight those Chromas for real! We're going to work hard on our quest; our quest to bring balance to this world."

"Thanks Genevie! Sleep well!" Ernaut closed his eyes and got back to bed.

"Sleep well, Ernaut. May the blessing of Heaven remain with you!" Genevie said, before also going to bed as well for the night. They had quite a day together for sure.


	8. Chapter 8: Genevie's Brew

Ernaut woke up for the the morning. When he woke up today, he realized that he was on quite a thrill recently, and that thrill is only going up the hill the further he is going into his situation.

"Good morning Ernaut. Hope you had a good sleep!" Genevie said, greeting Ernaut for his starting morning for today.

"Ernaut, I heard you unlocked the Tear of Heaven, and everyone is after you. I have already told Wally not to execute you, because I have appropriate evidence talking about the Tear of Heaven, but he still wants to kill you. Anyways, here's the plan for the next mission. That is, we will explore the area around us to hunt some possible Chromas, so I can see your powers that you got from the Tear of Heaven." Genevie said. Genevie already wanted to ensure that the powers of the Tear of Heaven are new, because from what Genevie knew from the archives, Aruku had already abandoned the Tear of Heaven because she felt like it caused her enough trouble, but was it really the same Tear of Heaven? Or was the Tear of Heaven Ernaut found an evolution from the older one?

"Yes. I had this Tear of Heaven on me for days. I had a vision that represented my powers yet to come. It's sooner or later that you'll have to witness my powers, but we cannot use those powers inside because as you know, it's too dangerous."

"Very well. Let's come on outside, and we will showcase those powers so I can demonstrate what you've got from the Tear of Heaven."

Ernaut and Genevie went outside from the estate, the estate that had that glowstone lamp, and the same place where Ernaut took refuge to get away from the mob yesterday. Genevie had a goal, and that goal was to see what the Tear of Heaven was capable for.

"So Ernaut, we're going to test your powers right here. This is enough space for us to work and test those powers. I believe you have got what it takes to represent me your powers from the Tear of Heaven." Genevie said.

"The only powers I know are the Spirit Needle, which lets me lock on targets and fire magic missiles, and the Spirit Fist, which lets me fight using magic fists that mimic my hands. I think I should test it on that tree over there." Ernaut said, pointing at the dead tree in sight.

"Okay, so which one are you doing again for that dead tree?"

"I'm going for the Spirit Needle. Watch this." Ernaut locked onto the dead tree and fired an magic needle that damaged the dead tree.

"Whoa, this is some new powers from the Tear of Heaven. In fact, when Aruku got ahold of the Tear of Heaven, she wasn't able to even unlock it, because I believe this was an evolved version. The only times the Tear of Heaven did in fact talk was in the Comet crash site where Aruku destroyed the dark and light Totems, but the theory is, we barely had any effect from the Totems, which were said to hold balance on Teya. I don't know if they were created by the Shades. Shades, if you have forgotten, were ghosts that originated from the Crimson Shore when the Comet destroyed it. They are in fact associated with the Comet as one of its major minions, but even though Aruku already defeated them, it has been noted that if these nightmares and dark omens were to continue; they'd reincarnate themselves while finding new ways to survive, which explains the Chromas. The Chromas, as you know are new incarnations of Shades. They are in fact their successors." As Genevie was talking, a Chroma was forming behind her, and was approaching her without her being aware.

"Genevie, behind you!" Ernaut said, pointing the Chroma behind her.

"Oh, there is?" Genevie used a dodge-step to evade the Chroma, with Ernaut getting ready to fight it using his Spirit Fist.

"Take this, and that! If you could do a better day, do it!" Ernaut voiced, as he used his Spirit Fist to do his strikes against the Chroma and dispelling it.

"Whoa, was that the Spirit Fist? It looked like it because you were using your hands, and not any ranged attacks."

"Yes. That was my Spirit Fist. I developed that using the ability to channel my anger, which is what I learned to get revenge on the Chromas when the house of destroyed. I learned the Spirit Needle from the way of being able to hit my targets that would be impractical on melee, such as the venomous mice I had to deal with. See. I have more powers, but these would be learned more often in my journey."

"Very well, I have gotten everything I wanted. Now come back inside. I want to work on a plan with you. This plan, would give you an opportunity to head east, because isn't that the goal you wanted? Go east and solve the mission where you fight against the Comet?"

"Yes, that's what the Tear of Heaven wanted. In fact, I am a good samaritan to the community, but I got kind of stepped down by the people, because they thought the Tear of Heaven was an weapon of witchcraft. As you know, they hate witchcraft and all that unique stuff, and they often times do not mix well with non-Nexusian culture, and that Tear of Heaven is non-Nexusian for example. The challenge is, I have to learn how to adapt to different people's reactions, because sooner or later, I'm going to have to handle with people that mostly do not like my goals, and some that may support my goals, but so far, Janice and you, you are the only people in the Nexus that support non-Nexusian cultures."

Ernaut and Genevie went back to the estate that Genevie always owned. Genevie wanted to get out an important scroll to read from her collection. Genevie felt like she was interested on giving Ernaut some important clues.

"Ernaut, I want you to know, a famous monument from the east; the Gems of Power. The Gems of Power was an monument from east which represented balance and hope, as the 7 gems of power represented the colors of the elements These were the eastern region's only famous monument. It was also rebuilt by Aruku to regain fame to herself and the Hawk Tribe."

"I understand. So, how would I know what the Gems of Power look like?"

"I don't know, some gems that are in rainbow colors? The Gems of Power were no ordinary gems, they were artifacts that represented different colors and different symbolism, as marked on them. It's a tale that has just begun, and I'm only telling important facts about the eastern region of Teya."

"I understand the Gems of Power, and now do you know anything about the Totems?"

"Now, what you'll actually assume from the Totems is that they are just totem poles that represent a group of people or even a tribe, but that's incorrect. What Totems actually are, they are coin shaped relics that represent different animals. Legend spread across there is that there is a World Seal that brought balance and life upon the world, but because we are too far from that legend, we never knew or even cared about the Totems or even the World Seal. In fact, we never even cared about non-Nexusian culture in the past, unless if it was a real threat such as actual evidence or an approaching entity that wanted to hurt us. Ultimately, when our founder Arthur Hope founded the Nexus over a 100 years ago, he wanted us to work hard and understand each others' motives, and care about the inside world. That was correct, because as you know, we live on different sides of the world, and their habit was; if it's too far or doesn't even pose a threat; it doesn't even matter to them at all."

"Thank you. So, what else do you want to do today? Today's kind of too early to call it a day."

"In fact, I have a mission for you, but we are going to work this together. We're going to plan an investigation of that old temple which I think you've encountered while being chased by that mob yesterday. There's something which I want to investigate over there. Did you see a Chroma over there?"

"Yes. Yes I did. I defeated that one already. What do you want to investigate over there?"

"I want to check for that one diary which was left in the temple. Something tells me you're not alone in the Chroma issue that roams around here. Did you see any other Chromas attack anyone aside from that mob?"

"No. Never seen any Chromas aside from the chase."

"Okay. We are going to this temple, so I can do some sort of investigation of what happened over there."

The two made their way back to the abandoned temple, the place that Ernaut temporary stopped while on the chase from the mob yesterday. Upon getting to the temple, it looked kind of run-down and ruined to Genevie.

"Yeah, this temple looks really old, I mean really old. Nobody's been living here or using this place for months." Genevie thought, upon coming down the abandoned temple. The area where the mob confronted the Chroma; no one was even there at all.

"Well then, let's go inside and get that diary. I was sidetracked by the Chroma and the mob, so I was only able to investigate the temple only for a while, but I was able to read the diary that you were talking about. From what I remember, the diary was referring to the Chromas, and that there was nothing to do to even stop it.

"This diary! Ah yes! This was that one note that represented victims of the Chromas! It seems like the Chromas are taking advantage of dark areas and shadows to represent their ability as the ghosts, and these ghosts are here to represent a nightmare taking the evil within them!" Genevie pointed out.

"Oh, so what else could we do about it?"

"It seems like they are hunting down those that have those drastic nightmares. The worser the nightmare gets, the more likely they are bound to get attacked by the Chromas. Your parents likely had nightmares as well, which made them good candidates for the Chromas. If you had forgotten, those Chromas are known to replace the older version of the dream ghost; known as the Shades. Those guys at Castlemore seem to have decent dreams of taking your head and hunting you down for an very high salary, which represents hope and ambition for them, but nightmares represent tragedy, agony, and illness."

"Okay, so what can I do about it? I've fought against several Chromas, and it seems like the least I can do to try and protect myself, is think of happy dreams, healthy omens, and visions like that. That's all I know that doesn't attract those Chromas."

"Nothing we can do about it here. The only thing we can find those Chromas is the eastern region, into the Comet, because as you know, some things cannot be done here and can only be done in specific locations."

"Genevie, now we now know that there are more victims of the Chromas aside from this parents. Can you at least heed this warning to the...oh nevermind. They'll never believe that. There isn't enough proper evidence to come up with an believability, so I don't think telling this to Wally is going to help either. If you want Wally or those people at Castlemore to believe in you, you need proper evidence and proof enough for them to even care about it."

"I understand...should we head on down to Darum Forest to look for some berries that I need for an important project that I am working on? Right now, I think with the Chroma situation, I need you to come with me."

"I thought your house was in Darum Forest, not right out in the open prairie. That's what Janice told me."

"Allegedly, I don't live in Darum Forest, but I live near it. I don't live inside forests because they're too dark and too closed in, making it difficult for me to even find sunlight. In fact, Darum Forest is dangerous for even an commoner to go in without a proper lighting tool, because there are things like bears and other predators you have to look out for. In fact, Darum Forest is home to a lot of species, plants, all that important stuff, but you have to be careful when we reach Darum Forest."

"Alright then. I was just curious from that fact.I think this project will involve you creating a brew that would help me throughout this journey or something similar?"

"My goal for this brew is to help others in need. This brew would be able to cure most diseases and relieve of anyone of a stressful day. I received a message today about someone who is in a disease, and that various medicines they've tried have not worked at all. They wanted to commission me to create a special kind of medicine for them. Some other group of citizens on this island needs our help. I'll give you a new hood so they won't know that it's you, you the wanted person in Castlemore."

"Great plan. So, what does the hood look like?" Ernaut was curious, what was the plan Genevie was going to use to hide his identity from any citizens that would hunt him down?

"This is the hood I'm going to give you. It stretches out from your head to your legs, so you don't have to worry about them knowing your main uniform. You wear a white shirt, black pants and black shoes right for your main attire?"

"Yes, I do wear them. It represents myself being an citizen of royalty. In fact, I would love to try that new hood on!"

Ernaut put on the hood that Genevie had in her hands. It looked to be red and white, which were also the colors of the Nexus flag, and even had Genevie's own signature on the front of it! Upon putting it on. Ernaut felt a sense of difference in him, he felt unlike his older self anymore.

"Alright, I think this should work right now. Let's go and help citizens in need! Oh, and here's a present for you. You'll need it." Genevie lent Ernaut a butterfly knife with an emerald blade and diamond hilt.

"What are you giving this for? Don't you know I already have powers from the Tear of Heaven that could do something more powerful and effective than this?" Ernaut looked kind of questionable in his face, in response to the unlikely weapon that Genevie gave to him.

"Keep in mind; there are times where it's a good time to have the Tear of Heaven's powers unleashed, and times where your not allowed to. If you dare unleash those powers in public, they'll often times think you're being possessed of unidentified witchcraft, or should I say the evil follower of Aruku?"

"I understand. Sometimes, we have to understand that we are ourselves, and often times, we have to rely on ourselves and our techniques to do the job, especially when it involves ascending into the bigger challenges."

"Alright then, let's head into Darum Forest and get ourselves some ingredients to make our medicine."

Ernaut and Genevie set out north from the estate towards Darum Forest, where Genevie wanted to look for the right ingredients to make a medicine for a rural village.

"Alright, here we are at Darum Forest. So, what we need to get for our medicine is. 3 blueberries, 5 wildberries, 7 nightberries and a fragrance of amber. We're going to have to search all across the forest This is probably your first major task in your life. We are going to represent our good samaritan by showing what it means to be able to help out people a lot. After all, it's important to be able to be a good helper in faith for townspeople. I heard you've been doing that for almost like months in Castlemore before you found the Tear of Heaven or even heard of Aruku, so , there's no time to waste."

Ernaut and Genevie took off on a walk across Darum Forest. There was the sound of birds chirping, some sounds of animals, and even insects as well. They have been on the lookout for any berries to put onto Genevie's pouch she'd been carrying on her shoulder, which she would use to hold important ingredients or items. From that walk, they managed to find blueberries and wildberries, just what is needed, but the nightberries, can only be found in dark areas as they're only known to grow at night.

"So, what are we going to do now? Nightberries grow at night, and I don't even know where to even get a fragrance of amber. Do you have anywhere to go?"

"Ahh yes! Nightberries and a fragrance of amber. We got the blueberries and wildberries in Darum Forest. Now, In this area is a cave nicknamed Flora Cave. Here, you would find nightberries and that fragrance of amber we were in fact looking for. Come on, we got a job to do!"

They both went into the cave, looking for the nightberries, but then upon taking a few steps, they heard a roar. Was that, an wild animal on the loose?

"Hey, get your butterfly knife ready, and get ready to hunt down what lies ahead of us!" Genevie warned by the sound of an animal inside the cave.

"Here I go!" Ernaut said, readying his butterfly knife for the first animal that he'd hunt for real; a grizzly bear. Upon steadying his knife towards his target, Ernaut had to focus on the bear's motion, it's reflexes and of course, it's abilities. The bear had some claws for it's attacking ability, and Ernaut had to be aware of that as well.

"Steady, steady, steady, now execute!" Ernaut charged his knife towards the bear to unleash a heavy slash on it's arm."

"Looks like you blew it on his arm! Now he's slowing down! Finish him!" Genevie exclaimed, trying to ensure that Ernaut is ambitioned to win the battle.

Ernaut, with all of his grit held both hands on the knife, and then with great force made one heavy slash through the grizzly bear, killing it in the process.

"Did you, did you do it?" Genevie was surprised on the strike.

"This is probably the first time I ever have to kill an wild animal, but yes. I did. This is not something we do for killing our own time, this is something we do for you know, defense and the important facts. I killed that bear because it posed a threat to us, now that's cleared up, so let's go." Ernaut said.

"Ernaut, I need to clean up this emerald butterfly knife. I got a bottle of spring water which I need to use to clean this up. That knife is going to make us look like we killed somebody with it." Genevie took out a bottle of spring water from her bag and poured some of the water onto the knife Ernaut had, washing off the blood on it.

"There you go, I think this should work for now. This would possibly hide any traces that we killed something, but that bear is something hunters would basically hunt as game."

"Alright, so let's get back to the main task right now. We were looking for nightberries and an fragrance of amber in this cave. We have to scout the walls and the floors of this cave to find them. We have a job to do, and that's important for us. That's what we do, care for others in need."

Ernaut and Genevie scouted with their eyes around the cavern walls, the floors, and the surroundings. It was important to not miss anything that could be interesting in their sights. They continued walking through the cavern until what the could find some sort of orange flower with some sort of orange sap from it.

"Is this the fragrance of amber that we need?" Ernaut asked.

"Yes, I think that should be it. I also collected the nightberries from those plants in the cavern's grass. As you know, there is potential for caves to have grass or even habitats as well biologically." Genevie asked.

Genevie grabbed the orange flower which had the fragrance of amber so she can use it to make the medicine needed.

"I think we're done. We need to report back and make the medicine!" Genevie said.

Ernaut and Genevie walked back to the witch's house, ready to make the medicine. The sun was setting for a bit, Ernaut and Genevie have had their first day together so far in the action.

"Now, what I need to do here is to use these ingredients into the cauldron, and then stir them up to make a brew, and that brew would simply be our medicine for those in need. We did well today, we hunted a bear, explored a bit of this island called Aurora. As you know, in the Nexus, this island is called Aurora. We have other islands in the Nexus such as Evergrove which is south of here, and Nexus Capital west of here. We have only three islands in the Nexus so far. Anyways, you can stay here while I go deliver the medicine. If you're wondering where I'm delivering this medicine, it's a medicine I'm delivering to a town called Auroburg, said to be where Queen Aurora discovered Aurora and founded her own city. Don't come with me, because I think Wally also told Auroburg to hunt you down as well. I'll be taking one of my Guardians with me to ensure I get the medicine there and back safety. Then, the doctors and healers there can work on finalizing the medicine and do the rest." Genevie said.

"Okay Genevie, I can stay here. I'm going to go upstairs into my bed." Ernaut said while walking upstairs to the bedroom.

As soon as Genevie left the room with the potion containing the medicine that they made from the brew, Ernaut felt like he wanted some time alone to talk with Karin.

"What a day it has been for you. You and Genevie have been getting along very well." Karin said.

"Yes, we have been getting along. Keep in mind, this is only the beginning of things. Since I have to move from island to island to make my way east, which is going to take some serious work. I probably expected you to ask, why did I get to keep a emerald knife for safety when in reality I could just use your powers? Allegedly, Wally passes you off as witchcraft, and speaking of that, that kind of witchcraft is impossible to believe, there's no way to even craft a reasonable thesis that is believable because you originated from elsewhere outside the Nexus!

"I see… Does this mean you still want to continue your quest, even if it means relying on your own skills for a bit?"

"Yes. My first goal is to continue this life with Genevie until I can find my way to the other island."

"Okay, so what do you want me to do? I have granted you increased senses of danger and awareness."

"Until then, it's best for you to remind in stasis, since I am currently still on the run from Wally, Shion, and those people who want my head. Genevie's okay since she's an authorized witch who uses witchcraft that is at least believable! Genevie was my only person I can trust while everyone else opposes me. My parents are gone, Janice is arrested for keeping me in, who else could I rely on? I guess is you, myself then when I'm out of the Nexus."

"I understand… Well then, what are you planning for tomorrow? Another day of adventuring with Genevie instead of just continuing my quest of having you travel east and destroy the Comet and those Chromas?"

"You know I can only do the quest east is how to actually get there. First, I have to leave the island of Aurora and swing by island to island until I can find a proper travel method. I don't know what's it going to be. In fact, getting out of this island isn't going to be easy. I have to find something that can take me to other islands, whether it be ships to other islands or something like that, but the challenge is being able to get into one. Since I'm a fugitive in witchcraft, I'm staying here with Genevie until I can find a way out of here. As for the Chromas, I don't know how they got here though, I guess they hunt down those with the nightmares, because isn't that what you also said about the Shades, right?"

"I proclaim that it's a newborn threat that's emerging from the Comet. Oh, you're looking tired, do you want to go to sleep and end this conversation between us?"

"Yes, It's been a day of walking around for a bit." Ernaut yawned.

Nearly 3 quarters of an hour passed, and Genevie had returned back to the bedroom.

"I guess he went to sleep then. I'll go to sleep. Night Ernaut! Genevie said, going to sleep as well.


	9. Chapter 9: New Sightings

Ernaut knew that his journey has yet to come. So far, his partnering with Genevie right now has been going very well. Yesterday, he had learned various tactics, like how to hunt down monsters with a hunting knife as Genevie gave him. Ernaut knew that he was still missing many important key strategies to survival, but felt like he could still learn them over the journey.

Genevie woke up shortly a bit before Ernaut would usually wake up. Like yesterday, Ernaut would expect Genevie to wake him up also as well, telling him they have a new mission or exploration in mind, but not this time. During that time, Genevie went towards the library downstairs, grabbed a book from the shelf with the words "Chromas and the Comet"

"Speaking of the Chromas, Ernaut would want to know this." Genevie noted, upon looking back at the information she had collected already from the eastern regions. "Yeah, if he would've cared about this now, this should've delved him deeper into what he needs."

Eventually, Ernaut walked down the stairs to see Genevie reading some books. He likely overheard her talking to herself over the books.

"Genevie? What did I want to know? Some new information that is important to me?" Ernaut asked.

"This information tells me that the Chromas are new, and if you include the fact that these were the reborn versions of the Shades, the ones we only fought were rooks, and these were just the beginning. Furthermore, we might face even bigger and more powerful Chromas, such as what is nicknamed as Princes, Kings. Kings were the masterminds of them all, and the princes are just the beginning of evolution. Rooks were just the beginning. You know, I'm just telling you this because the further your journey goes, the bigger the Chromas will act. You might also say that you could just rely on the Tear of Heaven for everything, well you apparently can't. That pocket knife I gave you was a physical weapon for hunting. Sooner or later, you're going to have to believe in yourself."

"Yes,I understand." Ernaut replied.

"Well, what you see here, is that the Tear of Heaven is an relic from the other side of Teya. Why can't Wally and the others believe in that? That's a good question; it requires external evidence to be able to believe it in, and yet Wally and everyone else do not care about the other side of the world or the other nations across the world. They only care about themselves. For example, if I find something from another part of the world, it's going to take a lot of time for them to adjust to where that even came from. The mission that you are seeking right now, involves the other side of the world. It's just going to be you when you reach the other side of the world, because sooner or later I'm going to have to part from you, because who knows when Wally or Shion plan to take me in for sheltering a fugitive like you."

"Alright, so what are we going to do today? We don't have any work to do, and I'm not heading back to Castlemore, because Wally and Shion there would catch me!"

"I'm going to teach you certain aspects of survival, because as you know, you're soon going to reach to a point where you have to adapt to yourself and your surroundings. You have to watch out for various obstacles, such as noises, potential trouble, everything that is surrounding you."

"Okay Genevie. What do you have in mind for me? I'm just beginning the start of things. You taught me how to hunt a wild animal with a hunting dagger yesterday. What else can I learn?"

"You may often times understand how there are two types of living; nocturnal and diurnal. Nocturnal means that this plant or animal relies on nighttime to being awake, and diurnal means that this plant or animal on the other hand relies on daytime on being awake. You know, nighttime based on the moon, and daytime based on the sun?

"Thanks Genevie, I was a bit scared though when you were talking about that aspect. Speaking of my sight, I did at least witness what I could make out a Chroma." Ernaut pointed out.

"Did you say Chromas? If so, we must investigate. Keep in mind, the only thing I know how to fight those Chromas is you, the Tear of Heaven or those powers I were talking about yesterday. In fact, the Chromas are a new threat to the Nexus, which Wally and the others do not know their origins, because as you know, these guys originate elsewhere from the Nexus, which they have no knowledge of."

"Okay, I think I saw a Chroma somewhere north from here." Follow me."

Ernaut and Genevie went towards north as Ernaut stated. Ernaut was already armed with Karin's powers, ready to fight against the Chroma. When they were looking around, they were sighting another Chroma which was a bit larger and had more strength inside.

"It's not a sight we usually see everyday. Never seen such a monster like that." Genevie thought upon sighting the new type of Chroma that she'd never seen before.

"This must be the Chroma Prince! The past Chromas which we've fought were just basically rooks!" Ernaut pointed out.

"Okay Ernaut, you're on your own for this one, because I have no potential means of how to even fight one of these because these are ghosts, meaning any regular weapon will pass through them as if it was not solid or touchable."

Ernaut got into a fight between the Chroma Prince and Ernaut himself. First, he tried to look at the Chroma Prince's capabilities and strengths, and try to adapting them first. From his sights, he saw that the Chroma Prince was capable of melee attacks such as phantom swords under the colors of the Chromas. Ernaut knew this was just a step up from the regular rook Chromas that he had fought for days in the beginning, and now he was soon going to adapt to new challenges.

"Okay Ernaut, be aware of the phantom swords, be aware of the phantom swords. Once they strike first, strike back at him!" Ernaut was thinking to himself for a tactical approach to the prince. He paid attention to what was going on between him and the prince; the phantom swords, his abilities, and the sightings in mind. He felt like he was getting skilled in Karin's powers, and that felt good for him, even though he knew he couldn't just rely on her all of the time.

"Alright Ernaut, make the shot!" Ernaut unleashed the Spirit Fist on the Chroma Prince as soon as the phantom swords missed him. After the first fist strike, the Chroma Prince recovered and got ready for a 2nd phase.

"I think he's more mad right now, I should keep my focus on him for now." Ernaut still wanted to finish the Chroma off and get ready to continue the rest of his day with Genevie. As he'd expect, he still continued to watch the phantom swords of the prince strike and miss at him, and after that he would unleash his fist strikes at him.

"Time to finish you off!" Ernaut finished the Chroma Prince after missing him for the second him. After defeating the Chroma Prince, it dissipated into energy for Karin, as the energy of the Chroma dissipated into Ernaut's hand.

"Alright Genevie, the Chroma Prince is defeated! Let's move on, shall we?" Ernaut said to Genevie who was watching him fight the Prince.

"Let's go. I think there's still some tactics and strategies you need to learn upon living on your own right now. You used to live with your parents the past years and now, but with your parents missing and you going east, it's soon about time I need to teach you about survival, There are some challenges which are dangerous and risky to begin with. I understand, but this one, is crucial, I mean very crucial."

"I believe this one has something to do with living standards, like how do we live and sleep."

"You'd be right, because as you know, you will need something or somewhere to sleep, because sleep is very important for your health. I think speaking of your surroundings right now, I think the Tear of Heaven can make a good companion for you to keep alert of certain obstacles and predators, but what is important is yourself. That includes health, living standards, all of those conditions. There are various ways to sleep, such as beds, tents, etc, but considering how you're traveling out of the Nexus, I don't know how would you sleep, but I recommend a tent.

"Alright, so how would you set up a tent for example? I never went camping before in the past."

"Okay, this is how you set up a tent. Each tent needs four pins to hold to the ground. The pins hold down the infrastructures of the tent, and you also need poles as well to hold the tent's roof in place. You need to place the pins down to the ground so it can hold the tent, and the poles hold the roof. Let's move on to sleeping bags, which is where you're going to be sleeping in. The sleeping bags are where you're going to be sleeping in while you're camping for example. It may feel a bit small, but it does in fact get the job done!"

"What about wild animals or any possible threat? I'm not fit for hunting you know, but these animals are quite an issue for me, some animals are friendly, some animals are aggressive."

"Oh, I understand. Speaking of wild animals, these can be an issue. Wolves, bears, any of those similar animals can be a threat to you. Any other people, basically neutral on that because sometimes these people can be nice to you, sometimes they can be mean to you. As for the Chromas, only the Tear of Heaven is capable of defeating them, but you can fight wild animals with various weapons; bows, swords, spears, etc. Speaking of people, did you have anyone bully you or commit a sin towards you in the past, right before you heard the word about Aruku?

"Yes, I did. There was a thief that stole a bit of gold from a bunch of people, I tried to catch him, but he escaped. I don't know where he is right now. That was like several days ago before I met Janice."

"The gold thief? I heard of that. Wasn't he that one hooded man, because the only witnesses I recall stated he had a hood on."

"Exactly. What is important right now is you, your surroundings, and what aims to get in your way. Throughout your journey, you will face many dangers and challenges which will require a lot of thinking and knowledge to sometimes get through them."

"I get that, I get that. So, what is next right now?" Ernaut asked.

"Okay. This is your first objective. Speaking of what is around you, you have to look around to ensure that you are safe or not. Things like wild animals that hunt for prey, or even Chromas, are what can oppose you on your journey. Watch what you see, and I can tell you if it's a friendly animal or a wild animal. Chromas however on the other hand, are always threatening."

Ernaut looked around with his sights as Genevie told him. As usual, in his sightings, he saw some rabbits, birds, and some animals that are just friendly to him.

"I can see some birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Okay, these were my first sightings right now." Ernaut pointed out.

"Okay, these are friendly animals. That means, they are friendly to you, and they hardly become aggressive towards you. Wolves and bears on the other hand, hunt for animals for their food, which is one of the major factors that show that they can be much more aggressive. What makes an animal aggressive is how reactive it is, and how it hunts for food. If it goes for grasses, fruits, and plants, it's okay, but if they are capable of hunting animals for their food. It's like predator vs prey right there. For example, let's take the rabbit, and compare it to the wolf. Here, the wolf is the predator, and the rabbit is the prey, which means they are being hunted for as food for the wolf. That's how it works."

"Alright, I think I learned enough today. Speaking of the time, I think the sun's going to set right now, so we should call it a day for right now. We learned quite a bit today, but the plan is still ongoing. Sooner or later, I will have to part from you and start learning things on my own right now when I go east."

After that saying, Ernaut and Genevie headed back to their estate. It had been quite an ambitious day for Ernaut, learning the aspects of survival, dealing with predators, and even fighting new ranks of Chromas! Ernaut was getting quite tired from a bit of exploration and a bit of practice for his future journey, but it was all worth it.

"Survival techniques. I see that's what you've been learning today." Karin said, upon entering the estate.

"Yes. As I'm planning the trip out of the Nexus, Genevie has been teaching me how to survive certain things, such as how to find proper sleeping conditions or even how to be aware of certain animals. We even fought together against the Chroma Prince, which shows myself as a test to face the larger Chromas. That's the deal right now, as I'm planning to be on my own on the later adventures and this is only the setup of everything. Before I go on and explore, i need to learn some instincts of how to survive on my own."

"I understand, so that's what you wanted to learn before you wanted to continue your quest?"

"Yes, I can't just explore random places and expect you to take care of everything you know. I need to learn a lot such as how to survive when you're not available at specific times, how to manage things on my own and how I need to take care of myself as well."

"It seems like you're going to sleep soon. Should I close this communication with you?"

"Yeah, go ahead." Ernaut replied, as he yawned and proceeded to get into his bed.

"Night Ernaut. We learned quite a bit today, but your training continues tomorrow." Genevie said, wishing him a good night. Ernaut still wanted to continue his training on what to expect on his journey out of the Nexus, but it wasn't for him just get to the past and do all the work; he has to overcome many dangers and outside forces to get to his destination.


	10. Chapter 10: The Gold Thief

It has been 2 days and nights since Ernaut's first stay with Genevie. He has been undergoing training for himself and his upcoming journey on his own. Ernaut was thinking about the gold thief Genevie talked about, was it too late to even catch the gold thief at all if it was still here? Ernaut was getting some rest, his companion Karin was keeping him company throughout the journey, even if he was still alone. Karin had always been the spirit from the Tear of Heaven, telling about wisdom, being able to analyze the rarest of the rare, and everything most wisemen couldn't even do. Before the days with Ernaut, Karin would know and flashback everything Aruku did, from her beginning of the journey to the end, but that wasn't the point at all. What the point was, was the next mission Ernaut was going to receive, the foreshadowing Genevie was talking about.

While Ernaut was still sleeping, Genevie got out of her bed, let out a stretch, and proceeded to walk down to her bookshelves, looking for some sort of archive to look at that could be interesting to Ernaut to know. Sure, Genevie was an aspiring collector of the eastern tribes, but she wasn't able to collect everything. As Genevie browsed through the archives, she then pulled out one with the title "The Tear of Heaven" on it. Reading it, it talked about the legend of the Tear of Heaven, where it originated, how Aruku used it on her old journey and later on abandoned it. She saw the last note at the end of the archive; "the key of the world". Genevie felt like this was one of Ernaut's missions with the Tear of Heaven, but Ernaut wasn't awake yet, he was still asleep in his bed. Genevie wanted to look at some archives she had collected because she wanted Ernaut to learn about them, so he can gain some ideas on what to do with his Tear of Heaven and how it could help him on his mission.

Genevie's motivation with knowledge from the eastern tribes had gone very well in the past. In fact, these were the kind of knowledge that the people of the Nexus wouldn't even bow, because she already knows that public opinion towards the outside world around the Nexus has been turned off by the Nexusians, because if there's zero evidence or proof to be believable, it doesn't work out.

Ernaut eventually walked downstairs from his bedroom, curious on what Genevie was reading from the archives. He knew that Genevie could be reading some important exposition for only him, but not for the others in the Nexus.

"So, Genevie, what is that you're reading? You seem to collect a lot of archives and important clues that could help me on my mission." Ernaut asked.

"From these archives, it says that this Tear is the key, and you seem to be possessing it." Genevie said.

"What key? The Tear of Heaven? What else would this do?" Ernaut wondered, looking at the archive Genevie was reading.

"This Tear of Heaven is said to hold one of the keys to the world. There is stated to be four tears of the world; and it is said that If all four tears were to be combined forces; the soul shall be able to decide the fate of the world itself."

"Oh, so this is one of the keys to change the world forever. Okay, so speaking of the other three tears, if I were to collect all four tears and unite them, I gain to control the world, and that's it?"

"Yes, but there's a deal. If you ever manage to control the fate of the world, make sure to give Teya a world of happiness, okay?"

"My promise is fine with that, but as you know, you won't be coming along at all, it will just be me on the way east and collecting the other 3 tears. Who knows what lies ahead of my journey? What other dangers lie ahead? What are the greatest challenges I am going to face there? Oh, Genevie, what are you going to do when I find my way to Evergrove and continue my journey from over there?"

"I'll be staying here, keeping your presence and knowledge a secret. I don't know what the people of Castlemore are up to, because they might be planning on some sort of secret plan to find a way to take you down, but you have such defenses and abilities with that Tear of Heaven, so many more powers which I cannot reproduce. I am known to be the only witch in the Nexus, because as you know, the people of Castlemore barely use witchcraft to do their work a lot more often that you know, they would rather stick to casual jobs such as military, smithry, cooking, laws, and sovereignty. Basic stuff."

"Oh, Genevie, I want to continue my training today. I think speaking of the gold thief that you were talking about, I think we should try to look for him, that way I can catch him and explain his motivation. If his motivation is reasonable enough, like if he's doing this in a polite manner, I won't try to bring him into justice, although you have to do it because I'm a fugitive in Castlemore you know,

"Speaking of that, I have a plan for you, do you remember that gold thief that is still lurking about? Well, I witnessed him while I was on my way to deliver the medicine on the project we were doing 2 days ago. I think you should sometime confront that gold thief so you can determine if you want to take him into justice or let him go, if he has a very good motivation, I think that should be the case here right now." Genevie said, planning on catching the gold thief.

"So, where do we begin?" Ernaut asked, not knowing where to go to catch the gold thief.

"Okay, here's the situation. Apparently I was tracing the steps of the gold thief, and they led to a cabin somewhere in the forest north between here and the docks. You're going to need your hood again, so the people of Castlemore can't be aware of your appearance, because we'll be catching him and we might end up in publicity right now, although your supposed to be using your Heaven powers for good, let's just be fair for right now in this situation; so basically no using your Heaven powers, okay?" Genevie stated.

"I'll do this without using my Heaven powers, and what do you have that can help me catch the gold thief, because I can't do it by just chasing him over and over again, because it doesn't work like that for me." Ernaut asked back.

"Okay, here take this, this is a lasso rope that I used to catch some animals and release them for certain situations, but I guess this will do for right now. If you time this rope right, you can stop the gold thief from running any longer if the lasso lands on him. What I'm saying right now is that you have to throw the lasso and time it, and if you position your throw right, you can stop him from running. Am I making things clear?" Genevie stated.

"Yes, I understand right now, so where do we begin right now? To the cabin north as you stated thanks to your knowledge of forensics?" Ernaut asked.

"That's right, you're right on the direction that I was talking about, now here's the deal, we have to wear these hoods or else we would get caught easily by the people of Castlemore, I don't know what they're planning right now, but that's more like something that I want to do by myself sometime." Genevie replied.

Both Ernaut and Genevie put on the hoods that were to disclose their identity to anyone. That way, they can navigate to their mission to catch the gold thief without being caught by any people in Castlemore. Speaking of Castlemore, they knew that the gold thief wouldn't be hiding in Castlemore and rather somewhere in the wilderness of Aurora, because there were a lot more people living in urban places than in the wilderness, Genevie was the only one that chose a wilderness setting to put her own home!

Ernaut and Genevie took the passage through the forests in order to avoid being tracked by outside forces, which that'd be risky to even do, even with their hoods on. In fact, Ernaut would never ever want to set foot in Castlemore ever again, because he didn't know what the people of Castlemore were even planning to do with him, whether it be opposing him or any other circumstances. Genevie also wanted to go back to Castlemore one day by herself to secretly spy on what Wally was planning,

The forest that they'd been walking through had no light that could be shined through the trees, and the only noises they heard were the sound of the leaves rustling throughout the area, indicating that there was someone else or even an animal moving around in the area, only which can be determined if they were to look around.

"Genevie, I think I see the gold thief." Ernaut said, pointing a runaway person that was carrying a large bag of gold. Shortly after Ernaut said that, Genevie looked towards the direction that the person was going, Genevie knew that was the gold thief because of the large bag he had. Genevie had to pay attention towards where the person was going, and upon seeing him upon full sight, Genevie knew when to pull the shots for Ernaut to take action.

"There he goes! Catch him!" Genevie demanded, pointing where the direction the thief was going. Ernaut was running towards the direction the thief was going, following Genevie's demand. The thief went through the forest trails, while Ernaut was on pursuit towards him. In Ernaut's backpack was a lasso rope from Genevie, which would've been used for hunters to catch and release game or other animals. This lasso rope, Ernaut knew had to be the tool of the trade on catching that gold thief.

The gold thief kept on running, but didn't even say anything about Ernaut and Genevie chasing him, he never looked back as if he knew that wasting just one second would mean running to a dead-end. Ernaut has been managing his distance towards the gold thief and he was on a steady pace, but he knew that he isn't going to budge well with the lasso, he had to get close enough to throw the lasso and stop him. Ernaut was trying to focus on the gold thief by dodging every obstacle he saw; rocks, trees, and whatever that led to a dead end and wherever the gold thief was going towards.

Ernaut kept on running and running towards the thief and as soon as he got close enough, he then threw the rope towards the thief, knocking him down and being unable to move at all with himself being cornered towards the rope, which Ernaut held on to.

"Now, I'm caught you. Now, state what are you doing with the gold." Ernaut asked, upon stopping the gold thief.

"Please, I can explain." the thief replied. "I stole the gold from the Vault of Castlemore because I wanted to find a way to help others in need, you know, my family for example? Okay, here's the situation, I needed that money so I can help out good will for those in terms of you know, poverty and stuff. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, that is the still alright. So you stole the gold for good will to help those in terms of poverty and stuff because nobody else refused to help you out. Fine, I'll spare you then, because your motivation sounds too reasonable to be turned down." Ernaut replied.

"Thank you so much, I'll be delivering this gold to you know, good will so I can help them out. You won't tell anyone you caught and spared me, okay?"

"My secret is fine with you!" Ernaut felt like he was helping out those in need, even though it seems questionable to others. In fact, Ernaut is learning about what it means to be selfish and what it means to only care about yourself. He had quite a bit of adventure today, and he felt like he was getting tired from the chase. The gold thief had ran off with the promise that he won't tell anyone that Ernaut caught him or vice versa. Even though the thief would be likely by caught by Castlemore's guards by sooner, Ernaut learned to spare people if they had reasonable motives, even though they seem questionable.

Ernaut and Genevie, having felt the sense that they actually had done what is right for certain people, had walked right back to their estate. They met and confronted the gold thief, and had actually spared him due to his faithful motivation; he is stealing the gold to assist his family in terms of poverty. Genevie was getting quite tired from the chase, and so was Ernaut as well.

"You know Genevie, this is going quite very well right now. While I wait for some way to get to Evergrove, we on the other hand work together to solve problems and teach me important lore lessons that could assist me in the future. It sound so polite of you. Nobody else cared about the outside world, because it was either "evidence or hoax" to be believable. However, that isn't the case right now. What is the case right now, is that I want to go over what I have learned right now, and that could review me for the upcoming situations right now. There are many cases where I have to undergo many different kinds of challenges, such as wild animals, Chromas, or dangers of the climates." Ernaut said.

"I understand. Hopefully, I'll think about it overnight, but I think the ship for Evergrove is bound to arrive in 2 days. Apparently, this ship isn't any ordinary ship, it is a cargo ship nicknamed "Galleon" which is meant for delivering goods. Sometimes they allow passengers, but not when they're delivering a focus on goods at their times. If you do manage to get to the Galleon, I can't come with you, but that's the important thing, you want to continue this mission, right. You can't just stay here for days, you gotta find something to move on to. I read the boards on the docks and they gave me what I needed." Genevie replied.

"I highly see that this is your plan to move on from there. Taking a ship to Evergrove to continue on your journey east." Karin said.

"Yes, Karin. This is going to be our long run on the way east. Once we get to Evergrove, this becomes the second part of finding our way east. What else are we going to face there?"

"I've never been to Evergrove, and that is where the big part begins. Aurora and Castlemore was just the beginning of things, but Evergrove and onward is where it really begins, where I have to be more serious and more cunning when it comes to the surroundings around me, because I'm on my own from now on.

"As for your objective you did earlier today, how would you feel sparing someone who had a good motivation to do something bad for others?" Karin said.

"There is a reason that I spare people with good motivations, unless that motivation is to hurt people or commit acts of violence towards others, I spared the gold thief because he had a good motivation to do so; he was helping others and not committing any violence towards others. I don't think he'd make it through Castlemore but that would reflect who I am today; someone who only fights for what it is right, and I only take violence or action when they have the motivation to actually do something bad." Ernaut said.

"I understand, so you're someone who is willing to help out others in need and spare those in terms of good will and motivation. You're learning about mercy and how to treat someone with kindness. What is your weakness, or what do you hate?" Karin asked.

"For me, I hate being bullied and anyone who dares to attack me without mercy. Sure, you may be a good defender, but sometimes I have to learn how to face bigger challenges, such as whatever the Chromas have in mind, or whatever the kingdom of Nexus has in mind to take me down for you know, yourself who they call unidentified witchcraft."

"Unidentified witchcraft? So you were forced out of Castlemore due to what they framed you for?"

"You'll never understand, they believe that you are unidentified witchcraft because I have no way of telling Wally that this is believable. In fact, you came from out of the Nexus, and there's no way these people will believe in you. To make matters worse, speaking of the Chroma threat, they'll start to believe that I am the one who's bringing the Chromas here as a way to convince everyone else to join them on their crusade to get rid of me. That's just for the future incase if Wally brings the message to everywhere else, which would start out when I get to Evergrove and outside because they'll likely track me while I'm heading for that Galleon in two days. You know, that ship which supposedly is the only way to get to Evergrove?

"Ernaut, I understand, but you're still training with Genevie. It's simple enough with those powers, but do you remember that dream where you were fighting monsters and then you got thrown down into a volcano? I have more notable powers that you can even know. I'm not giving to them now because you're just adapting me into it, I don't give out powers for free you know, you have to keep on adapting me further and further and then I determine what powers you can gain. Oh, and you seem tired since you were running a lot again. Shall I end this conversation?"

"Yeah, I'm beat out from all that running and chasing, so I want some sleep right now for the night."

Ernaut then went to sleep in his bed and then closed his eyes, and the purple mark that represented Karin faded out, as if it was only used if Karin was talking and goes invisible to hide any traces of her while she's in stasis. Ernaut had another day of running, and felt like he needed to get back to his training of skills before leaving Aurora. Ernaut had a goal of getting aboard the Galleon to get to Evergrove, but he still has to learn many skills and techniques which some will be learnt from Karin and some on his own skills. Ernaut's adventure in Aurora is bound to end soon where Ernaut would leave the island to go to Evergrove and find his way east, but that only starts in two days.


	11. Chapter 11: A Test of Mind

Over through the night, Genevie couldn't even stop thinking of what else could Ernaut do with the Tear of Heaven that was unlocked inside of him. In fact, Genevie has always been curious on what else could the Tear of Heaven do, such as unique powers and other tricks in mind that cannot be done with normal tools of the trade, but Genevie had one last thing in the archives that she wanted to talk about; the Gems of Power. The Gems of Power was a monument built by Aruku which later on became a portal for people to travel to other parts in the world by the use of recreation on the other lands, but what Genevie got from her collection of archives, the Nexus in the past destroyed it due to their own beliefs, but as Genevie knew, the Gems of Power are currently the only way that Ernaut could make his way east from the kingdom of Nexus, which meant his journey wasn't going to be easy on the way to the Gems of Power due to the authorities doing everything they can to take him down as a fugitive.

Today, Genevie woke up earlier before Ernaut did today. Before he woke up today, Ernaut already knew what he wanted to do today, practice his skills and a test of mind before leaving the island of Aurora for Evergrove, because he knew that Evergrove was going to be a challenge for him. Recalling that the fact that the situation would only be faced in the island of Aurora, they would soon know the entire situation across the entire kingdom; the other two islands known as Evergrove and the Nexus Capital. Everything was fine in Ernaut's life until the mysterious crystal came along and the legends of the Comet Caller, or as Aruku as the true identity. Sometimes, most people just let rumors and myths go unless there's some evidence that has some level of believability, but as for Ernaut and the Tear of Heaven, there was no connection whatsoever that brought the Chromas with him, and how and why the Tear of Heaven landed in Castlemore in the first place. There was no way Ernaut could convince Wally that the Tear of Heaven and the Chromas came to Castlemore for a reason that they would believe, because both originated from outside the Nexus, which oftentimes is an issue when it comes to outside sources, the kingdom had never believed in any outside sources or history, because there wouldn't be way to believe them.

Genevie on the other hand, was looking through her archive collection and pulled the one that talked about the Gems of Power, and read about it. Of course, Genevie knew that the Gems of Power would play a turning point in Ernaut's journey east. That wasn't for right now though, Genevie was also considering the same thing Ernaut was wanting to do; the test of his own skills that will prove his might to travel to Evergrove and begin the second part of his own journey out of the Nexus. That's the deal for what Genevie wanted today, practice Ernaut's skills before he moves on to continue his journey to travel east.

Some minutes later, Ernaut also came downstairs to where Genevie was reading the archives about the Gems of Power. He was looking kind of with determination in his face, as if he was not giving up on his own mission to defeat the Chromas and fulfill his promise to the Tear of Heaven, or Karin as the spirit of Heaven.

"Ernaut, I have one last thing I need to tell you before you leave this place to go continue on your journey. There was a monument that people used to travel across other lands in the world of Teya, but I think due to the Nexus's belief in only the inside nation and not on the outside they probably destroyed it, so you'll probably going to have to find a way to rebuild it if you discover it once and for all." Genevie said towards Ernaut upon her first look.

"Yes, Genevie, I understand that's where my mission is; find the monument of teleportation to find my way east, but I'll have to find a way to restore it, and I'll also have to get through every obstacle the Nexus throws at me on my way here. That's something I have to learn as well, because as you know, you have to learn more about something before venturing forward to that new location." Ernaut said.

"I've got something for you. That Tear of Heaven inside of you looks to be very useful on your journey, but what you also need to know is how to be more reliable on yourself, because there are some parts where you have to rely on yourself without the Tear of Heaven, depending on what situations are going on. I was thinking of something on how to test yourself on how to use your skills and strategies in your future journeys outside of this island and towards your next destination, which I think Evergrove?

"Ernaut. I want you to run through this test of mind. I want you to show what you've got to take this test of mind. Here, you'll be tested upon the ability of your powers, and what you can do with your regular abilities. Not the Tear of Heaven's powers, your actual abilities like that emerald pocket knife I gave you 3 days ago. The reason why I'm having you take this test of mind is because I want to know your capabilities on the outside world, how you would do without your powers and how to know what to do in specific situations."

"A test of mind that could test my capabilities on how I would do without the Tear of Heaven? Great idea, because that's going to encourage me to be more self-reliant, because that's one of my challenges I'm going to face in the future, how to be more adaptive to myself than having the Tear of Heaven do all the work." Ernaut said.

"Now, here's the thing. This emerald knife, you'll need it. Sometimes you're going to be in situations where Karin cannot help you at certain times like challenges where you have to multi-task or longer battles where Karin actually exhausts. Oh, is Karin what you call the Spirit of Heaven, or should I rather call it Tear of Heaven?" Genevie said.

"Karin's fine, it's her name. This Tear of Heaven has a spirit named Karin. This emerald knife would help me in many situations,

"So, you know how to find your own place to rest and how to be aware of the dangers ahead?" Genevie asked.

"Yeah. What I understand right now is that during my journey, I'll have to keep my eyes and ears open for any potential trouble, whether it be the authorities, wildlife that is capable of attacking me, or any environmental hazard such as thunderstorms. Usually it's not safe to be outside in a thunderstorm you know, because as you know, no one has ever survived a thundershock in Nexus history." Ernaut replied.

"Yes, there is a lot more to learn than I can teach you right now at the moment. During your journey, you will learn many new things and face many dangers, but I have faith in you. We'll do this test of mind right now." Genevie said.

Genevie and Ernaut spent hours around their house practicing their powers in a place where no one else could see them, Karin, or the Spirit of Heaven was capable of doing many great things, such as concealing his footsteps, silencing her magic, and even mind-reading other people as well. Ernaut also checked his physical capabilities with the emerald knife Genevie gave him, such as cutting wood and learning the surroundings of himself. It was a great moment to practice Ernaut's skills, but Ernaut felt that he could be worried about any potential lookouts.

"Genevie, I'm kind of worried right now. Look around." Ernaut said, upon worrying about the risk that they could be caught by other people.

Upon looking around, they saw some townspeople walk towards the path for Castlemore. Upon getting close enough, Ernaut could make out some talk about a meeting in Castlemore about a new law being passed, Ernaut knew that could be bad news for him because he knew they'd be finding ways to get rid of him and soon convincing everyone else to go on their mission to get rid of Ernaut.

"Sure, let's go and hope that Wally gets rid of that pest who's been using witchcraft for no reason! What time is it again, exactly?" the first person asked.

"11:00 at night. Don't forget to check your clocks and get there to get some seats." the second person replied.

"A meeting with Wally about new laws? I'm gonna have to check that out." Ernaut said, upon overhearing someone else talk about new laws being passed. He said that quietly and far enough for the townspeople to not even notice him, but by the time he was going to say that; the people had already passed by on the path to Castlemore.

"No, I'm going to have to investigate yourself, you're even more of a liability if you step into Castlemore because they'll easily know you're the one that escaped, so I have to investigate this instead. Here's the thing, while I go investigate, you better not leave the estate just to be safe. I'm going to be leaving at the time of the event so I can easily check out what they're planning, but I highly doubt it's anything good for us, it would definitely mean that Wally has had enough of me and is planning on getting rid of me.

"Let's not speak too loud because they can notice us anyway." Genevie alerted. Genevie wanted to wait until the townsfolk has already walked by to get back to their estate, because as Genevie knew, the moment that they know that he's hiding with Genevie would already show that he's trying to get away with his own crime that Wally always believed in; unidentified witchcraft that originated from outside the Nexus.

"Okay, the coast is clear, let's go back in." Genevie said, upon seeing that there's no townspeople in sight.

"Here's the thing. Tonight, I will leave this place to go investigate what Wally is planning to pass. It'll just be me, so don't leave the estate while I've gone just to be safe." Genevie said.

"Okay, I highly doubt it's anything good though, but tomorrow is also the day that the ship for Evergrove arrives. That means you'll have to let me go tomorrow so I can continue my journey." Ernaut pointed out.

"Oh? Tomorrow is when the ship arrives? Okay. So, when should I release you? In the morning? Just in time the ship arrives?"

"Obviously it would be releasing me tomorrow morning when I wake up and witness the ship arrive, I want to get there as quickly as I can before the other people can even notice me.

Genevie and Ernaut headed back inside upstairs, Ernaut was getting tired after the test of mind that Genevie had setup for him. Before Ernaut fell asleep on his bed, Karin wanted to talk with him;

"You're planning on catching that boat tomorrow? It ain't going to be easy." Karin said.

"Yes. This will be my first big challenge, getting off this island and continuing onward to my next step finding my way east; Evergrove, another one of these islands in Aurora. I know this might sound a bit convoluted, but this is my next direction on continuing my way east, getting off this island and moving on to the next one. After I get to Evergrove, I plan on finding my way east by tracking down who or what can take me way east. As I know, it's a portal that Aruku had built, but I don't know if it's still up or if it had been taken down by the Nexus, but I don't know what island it is in right now, I need to delve deeper within the Nexus to find out for myself." Ernaut replied."

"You're getting tired right now. Was it a rough day for you?" Karin asked.

'Yes it is. We may have been seen by some Nexusians, and Genevie is planning on investigating tomorrow for herself to see what they're planning on, because they were talking about a meeting where Mayor Wally is planning new laws and stuff, which aren't going to be nice to me is one major factor. I need some sleep, so I'm going to bed to get ready for tomorrow; the escape to Evergrove."

Ernaut fell asleep back inside his bed, Genevie fell asleep, but she never forgot her promise for midnight, and the time when Wally's meeting back at Castlemore was.


	12. Chapter 12: The Spy

After Ernaut and Genevie had undertook the "test of mind" earlier, they overheard some townspeople talking about a meeting regarding mayor Wally's new schemes, as if Wally had finally had some new tricks on his sleeve to take down Ernaut as last. Ernaut wanted to investigate, but Genevie decided to investigate for herself because Ernaut would end up using his powers trying to find his way and if Wally saw Ernaut during his meeting he would've been in big trouble with no way out, so Genevie decided to volunteer instead as she'd be easier to sneak through than Ernaut. It was a very risky challenge, but Genevie still decided to undertake it for herself to find out.

It is already midnight in the Nexus. Genevie was having the feeling of investigating what were the people of Castlemore doing at night, because earlier she had witnessed some townsfolk talk about a meeting with Wally at nighttime while they pass new laws, with a law she knew that would be against her forever. Genevie was slowly walking from her estate while Ernaut was still sleeping, she had been walking, walking very quietly to avoid potential noises to alert anyone, because unlike Ernaut, she doesn't have any powers to even assist herself. Not to mention, she's not using any witchcraft because she is being suspicious on what Wally and Shion are currently planning to get rid of Ernaut. At first, Ernaut wanted to investigate, but Genevie knew that would be too risky for Ernaut despite his ability to use his powers without anyone noticing, because the guards would've easily caught Ernaut easier because he was already a wanted fugitive in Castlemore.

Genevie had no choice but to begin at nighttime while Ernaut was already asleep, so she had no potential of actually waking him up. As Genevie knew, anything that could alert her would actually be enough for things to change at her own situation; getting to Castlemore and finding out what Wally was planning to get rid of Ernaut and Genevie, which obviously meant that Genevie would have to let go of Ernaut tomorrow while he goes on to Evergrove.

Carefully, Genevie knew that she shouldn't make any noise to alert anyone of her presence, and she would also know that the people of Castlemore would already know that she's defending Ernaut, the boy who got the Tear of Heaven and is currently on the run from them, but Genevie also knew not to make a sound on the way out, so she insisted on avoiding potential noises by walking very carefully. She was walking through the forest without making any noises while also keeping track of any potential trouble; whether it be guards or anyone else on the lookout for Ernaut. Sure, not many people work at nighttime, but the guards usually have their eyes and ears open to keep on the eyes for any potential trouble, such as criminals or any wild animal threats. Yes, it is common for crimes to mostly take place at night, the time where most people are asleep usually due to their nature of being hidden out of their sights.

Upon entering the fences of Castlemore, Genevie knew she had to sneak by the areas to get to where the town hall could be so she could hear what Wally was planning, because she was getting worried of Wally's plan to take care of Ernaut, and when to release him to go away from her as far as possible. Genevie remembered when Ernaut got to her estate while he was on the chase from Castlemore's mob trying to get his head for money just for being possessed by the Tear of Heaven, an artifact that no one believed in, and how it all started it all; the Tear of Heaven fell down in Castlemore, Ernaut grabbed it and unlocked it into his body, but no one believed where it came from or why is it here, because they're never used to studying research outside of the Kingdom of Nexus, apparently "if there's no legible evidence, don't bother" was a standard to Wally at all times.

Genevie was in the suburbs of Castlemore, and right now no guards were seen. During her sneaky approach to the town hall, she noticed that Ernaut's estate, as indicated by ruins, was already destroyed and never repaired, which was started by the Chromas and the reason how Ernaut got convicted of identified witchcraft and started everything that would get in the way of his journey. She also saw Janice's estate, with a notice that the previous owner of the house has been arrested with a note saying "Defending Ernaut, the boy with unidentified witchcraft". She lastly saw what started the chain reaction that might've been why Ernaut escaped from Castlemore and was on the chase from an angry mob, a wanted poster for Ernaut with reward saying 100 diamonds in it. To Genevie and most people of Castlemore, 100 diamonds meant a huge fortune. In Castlemore's currency, 1000 pieces of gold would be 1 platinum, and 1000 pieces of platinum would be 1 diamond, so that meant 100 million gold to anyone who takes down Ernaut. Genevie knew this poster was made to join Wally's crusade to take down Ernaut and stop whatever is causing the Chromas.

"Making it through the suburbs of Castlemore. No guards to be seen, and the coast is clear." Genevie said to herself while walking quietly through the area. This was the time where most people are either asleep or attending Wally's meeting. There wasn't anywhere else to go. She saw where Ernaut's original house was, as indicated by the destroyed remains. She even saw Janice's house and a notice that the "tenant in the house was arrested" on the door.

Genevie finally made it to the window of Castlemore's town hall. There, she saw Wally and Shion planning out an act as indicated by the audience by the tall windows. Genevie needed to listen carefully on what Wally was planning out that could be bad news for Ernaut.

"Now, what we need to do now is pass this new law. This would make it that all witches and wizards are illegal to have in the Nexus. That means, we will get rid of that defender Genevie and get our reward on our fugitive Ernaut, so that means Ernaut will be out of options, and we'll have him cornered in no time!" Wally said, declaring to pass a new law via the signature he had with the inked feather.

"Good work Wally! That way, I can get my fill in no time and get rid of that annoying pest!" Shion said, looking gritty with the feeling of victory on his face.

"Now, what we have here are our votes. Out of 93 votes, all 93 of those votes are for this law, so that means we won in a knockout!" Wally said. "We're going to have to pass this so we can get rid of Ernaut and get rid of those Chromas as well and whatever else stands in our way! This will be the new direction the Kingdom of Nexus has to face, since we know that boy is using such witchcraft that he expects us to believe but we don't, and we'll be able to make an even safer tomorrow!" After Wally made this speech, the audience let out an applause with some cheering.

"They're considering Ernaut the reason why those Chromas are here?" Genevie noted. She discovered that they thought Ernaut is responsible for bringing the Chromas to the Nexus, even though it was likely linked to the Tear of Heaven, not Ernaut himself. Although Ernaut was capable of fighting the Chromas and even defending himself from such actions, Wally thought that he himself brought the Chromas in most likely because he choose to "mess with the tools of the unknown", or should it be called the Tear of Heaven.

Genevie gasped when she overheard that Wally had been passing new laws to stop her, and she knew she was becoming fugitive at this point. She knew that this was her last day of partnering up with Ernaut, and Ernaut would have nowhere to go after that. Where would Ernaut go and plan to continue on his journey? Was there a way to get to Evergrove and continue on from there?

"Oh no, it looks like I have to let go of Ernaut tomorrow, because they're going to set up a way to get rid of me everywhere, it seems like Ernaut will be on his own during his journey tomorrow, but the ship that Ernaut is to go to, the ship for Evergrove, arrives tomorrow, if Ernaut has got the right strategies and powers from the Tear of Heaven, I think I have high hopes of him going on his own to Evergrove tomorrow on his own, but I don't know what they're going to do with me anyway.

Upon looking through the area, Genevie saw patrol guards that were marching around Castlemore, Genevie knew that she had to get out of here after getting what she needed to know, but getting out of here was a very risky choice, she had to avoid being seen by the guards or else they'll take her in.

Genevie saw a stack of wooden crates and a rack of shields. She looked up to see a guard that was patrolling the area. Genevie knew what to do; she had to take a shield and then slide it on top of the crates to alert the guards in order to buy her some time to the next area, but considering how the guards were patrolling, Genevie knew that she needed to take advantage of everything to get out of here. It was one of the riskiest challenges Genevie had ever taken in her life; sneaking through guards without being noticed.

"Hey! What was that?" the guard said, upon the sound of shields being knocked to the ground. The guard then walked towards the fallen-down shield. Using this tactic, Genevie stealthily walked her way over to the other house, and avoided the guards by walking in the shadows and avoiding their sight. After quite some risky dodges and dangers with the patrolling guards, Genevie finally was bound for the exit of Castlemore's boundaries.

Upon leaving the fences of Castlemore, Genevie ran and ran her way back home. Genevie went through her biggest nightmare; being cornered by guards with no means of attacking them and the only way out was to take a risky escape, but it was for a reason; acquiring clues on what could Shion and Wally be planning to get rid of Ernaut. In conclusion, it was obviously up to no good, getting rid of her so that Wally's crusade could finally get to an end, but Ernaut would still push through via sneaking into the boat and continuing onto Evergrove.

Genevie went back to sleep back on her bed. She didn't want to disturb Ernaut in his sleep, so she figured to wait it out until the morning, and she knew she had to let go Ernaut on his own, but tomorrow was also the day that the Galleon, the ship that would come and board passengers to Evergrove, would arrive.

"Dear Diary. If you're reading this, then I am no longer able to support you. They're passing a law that makes me unable to continue my career and I'll be taken away by the authorities quickly afterward. They likely have spotted us and are planning to up the game even further by making it so they now believe that you, Ernaut, are the one responsible for bringing the Chromas in, even though these Chromas come from the Unknown and what they think is the "mysterious crystal", the Tear of Heaven, is too dangerous for even a Nexusian to handle, and should be condemned to the highest level of security; sealing it away forever. I wish you good luck on the journey to Evergrove and whatever it awaits after you, Ernaut. Good luck." Genevie wrote on her diary before she went to bed and wanted to tell Ernaut about the notes about what happened in the meeting in case she was unable to tell him the morning that the ship arrives.


	13. Chapter 13: Leaving Aurora

Genevie woke up early in an alarmingly fashion. She had never seen such a shock recently from Wally, he is planning on what was called a Stop Unwanted Witchcraft Act that would ban all types of witchcraft, Genevie included. That means, Genevie would be forced to let Ernaut go in the morning, but she felt too close to him, and felt like Ernaut would be helpless from now on. Was there any hope for Ernaut on his next mission? However, this was also the day that the so-called Galleon would arrive to be board for Evergrove, which was the ship Ernaut would take to get to Evergrove and continue his mission from now on.

Ernaut wanted to get to Evergrove to continue his mission east and fight his way through many obstacles that would await him from now on; while continuing to further his skills with Karin, the Spirit of Heaven, however Ernaut had to go on his own, because he'd had to leave Genevie behind while the authorities dealt with her, and Genevie didn't have any powers with her that can help, because all of her witchcraft would be illegal right now thanks to the new law that was already being passed.

"Ernaut, today is your last day of staying with me. I have some bad news. Apparently, they're passing a law that will make witchcraft fully illegal in the Nexus. When I was spying on Wally's plans, he had secret plans to shut me down by making witchcraft illegal in the Nexus. He'd knew people like me would assist you in your goals, yet nobody cares about because there's no evidence to even prove them. Do you remember that time where you were being put up for witch trials, which you escaped because these witch trials were ultimately impossible because they never believed in anything non-Nexusian because it was "zero evidence equals hoax" to them. Genevie warned.

"What is going on? What am I going to do?" Ernaut didn't know what to do, he knew he had to leave this place as soon as possible, because Genevie already knows they're doing whatever they can to pull the strings on Ernaut.

"You have to find a way out of this place. You have to find a way off this island, because there's nowhere to go now!" Genevie cried.

"Well, I don't see what I can do, there's nothing I can do, and I'll never leave a soul like you behind."

Upon Ernaut's words, a sound of a ship's horn played. Ernaut knew that had to be his way out of Aurora and a continuation of his journey, but Genevie felt a bit risky about it.

"Ernaut, I just wanted to point this out, I can't come with you, and so you're on your own right now." Genevie pointed out..

"Let's go, and I'll come up with a plan to get to that ship." Ernaut stated, with both of them walking down the stairs and into the exit.

"Explain to me, how you are going to get onto that ship while they'll probably bar you from there because everyone in Castlemore already knows about you, and even Mayor Wally would also pay attention to what's going on over there as well!" Genevie asked.

Genevie and Ernaut left the estate and from their sight; they saw a ship was on its way to the docks; was it taking passengers or was it meant for delivering goods? Ernaut knew that he had to go to the ship to find his way to Evergrove, because he knew that was the Galleon, but he knew that Genevie won't be here anymore, because Wally had already made witchcraft illegal, which means it will be just Ernaut and Karin continuing the journey together. Genevie saw the ship that sailed with the flag of the Nexus, and the emblems of Aurora, Evergrove, and Nexus Capital on its wooden side!

"Ernaut, there's a ship that's leaving for Evergrove, which must be that Galleon I was talking about. What I need you to do is get on this ship as soon as you can. After that, you are on your own for right now." Genevie said.

"A ship for Evergrove? What would I do here? Oh, continue my quest to find my way east. Also, what's going to happen to you?"

"Oh, Ernaut, I believe this is bad news right now, Wally has passed-" Genevie was interrupted by a shot of an arrow puncturing her. From out of nowhere, Genevie was hit by an arrow on her back shoulder and fell down with a splat of blood. The wound where Genevie was hit by the arrow was bleeding out quite a bit, but was there still hope for Genevie? Was Ernaut out of options?

"Are you alright! Genevie! Genevie! Answer me!" Ernaut checked if Genevie was still alive. He didn't know how a single arrow could kill a person.

"Genevie's dead." Karin said.

"What? She's dead. I don't even know where that arrow came from, like who fired it. It came from a direction which I didn't see, and after looking around, I didn't even see anyone. They must've likely gotten away immediately after I tried to check if Genevie was still alive."

"It looks like I am your only companion right now, but what is your plan right now to get out of this island?" Karin asked. "It looks like you soon have no time to stay around here right now, and it looks like the only way to move on is onward that ship!"

"Oh… I'm guessing I'm on my own from now on. But that doesn't matter right now; what matters right now is finding my way east. There's a ship bound for Evergrove which I have to escape to, but as I'm a fugitive here, I have to get in there without them aware of my presence."

Upon looking from behind a tree, Ernaut saw that the ship was boarding passengers, but as he already knew, he was unwanted in the ship for being a fugitive of the Nexus, but that was also his only ticket to find his way east, because that ship was going to Evergrove, the island that was east of the Nexus Capital, which Aurora was north of. In fact, this was his only chance to make the shot. Ernaut was watching the attendant at the docks keep track of who's boarding the ship. As Ernaut watched, he paid close attention to what the attendant was doing. As he called the last passenger and cargo aboard, the attendant walked towards the ship, Ernaut knew this was his chance; he moved towards another obstacle while Karin kept track of the attendant's movements to avoid being spotted.

Using Karin's abilities, Ernaut snuck into the ship's interior without anyone noticing by concealing his footsteps and hiding any potential noise that could come from it and being wary of the ship's crew on patrol. It felt a bit risky indeed, but it was what he wanted to do, continue his quest to find his way east.

The interior of the ship felt more of a luxury, as if this ship was a passenger ship aimed to traveling to the other states of the Nexus; whether it be either Evergrove or Nexus Capital. Ernaut got inside one of the rooms. The first room looked to be some sort of boardroom for meetings, with a long wooden table and drawers of documents. Ernaut was in a hurry, he didn't bother to check the other rooms because he was worried about any potential forces that might be inside the ship, he knew that he'd fail the mission if he were to get caught by the people in the ship.

As soon as Ernaut was going to read the classified document, there was a sound of the door opening, as if someone else was approaching.

"Quick Ernaut! Hide in the crate!" Karin said, while Ernaut did as she commanded; hide inside one of the wooden crates using her powers to not make any noise. As expected, the wooden crates had some sort of door that would open and close.

Ernaut was unable to see anything, but he could still hear the presence of someone else inside the other room. After a few moments, it sounded like the door to the room Ernaut was in.

"No sign of that Ernaut boy… I suppose he got away…" a voice said.

Then, after some time, there was the sound of a door opening and closing, Ernaut knew the coast was clear for now.

"Ernaut, the person has left the room. No one else seems to be approaching this room, for now." Karin said, after scanning the area of anyone that could oppose him.

"Okay, now let's read the classified documents. Something tells me this is going to tell me some secret information that they're keeping from us that they don't want us to see." Ernaut said to himself, as he proceeded to read the document.

"The following is classified information; not to be shown to Ernaut or anyone else interested in the Comet Caller. Wally has passed the Stop Unwanted Witchcraft Act. That means, witchcraft that is confirmed to be mysterious and confidential to others, is banned from usage at any time in the Nexus. This had to be passed down from Castlemore to the Nexus Government within the Capital, and governor Nehemiah had approved it for action. As of this writing, Nehemiah had not yet passed the document, but it is confirmed that it will likely will."

"So they passed this law as a way of continuing to get rid of me, but what they don't know is what else I can do with Heaven, there's still some more of Karin's powers to use, which many more I don't even know. I'm going to have to be careful while I'm at Evergrove. I don't know if there's any new forces Wally and Shion are going to send to try and kill me, though." Ernaut said, while on board the ship for Evergrove. He had finally made it aboard the ship for Evergrove, and his only resting place of choice there was the storage because he'd knew that he'd heard the sound of some passengers getting on board before the ship boarding. While he was hiding in the storage room with the help of the crates and barrels, he then heard the some of what could've been a crowd of people getting aboard the ship, as he'd expect while he is getting on a passenger ship.

Then, after some time, the ship started to depart and the sound of the same fog horn played while the ship was departing. Ernaut knew that this was his chance to get to Evergrove once and for all, but because he was being chased, he had no choice but to stay in the storage room, his place of hiding.

"Karin, this is it, we're on the way to Evergrove, once and for all." Ernaut said.

"So, what are your plans for Evergrove? What are you going to do there to continue your quest?" Karin asked.

"I'm going to find my way east, I had read from Genevie's archives that there is a monument called the World Portal which was built from the wonder nicknamed the Gems of Power Aruku had discovered, which would be a portal to other lands in the world. I gotta find the one in Nexus though, but I have to restore it with the help of you, because I think they destroyed it to keep people from going on witch-hunts towards Aruku and focus more on themselves. It's their way of talking about legends, they focus more on their own literature and culture and not anywhere else, because if it's zero believable evidence, don't bother.

From the dock where the ship departed, Wally and Shion were watching the ship depart away. Wally felt no sense of failure in that, because he'd know that Ernaut would try to escape from him, so he prepared so that the other states in the kingdom of Nexus would be aware of Ernaut's presence, ready to catch him and settle the score of the witch run. He knew that there was still more to plan and do to continue his plan on getting rid of Ernaut; getting Evergrove and everyone else on his mission to get rid of Ernaut.

"So Ernaut's bound for that ship in Evergrove, but that's not over right now. I already sent the message to the sailors regarding that guy, and this message would tell them to get Beck and Quinn on our crusade against him, because they are the finest warriors from Castlemore. Now, we've made all witchcraft and magic illegal. We killed Genevie because we had enough of others trying to help this guy out. Ernaut, have fun surviving in Evergrove, because your days are numbered." Wally said, upon the ship sailing away out of his sight towards Evergrove. Wally had already made preparations for how would Ernaut be dealt with while he is at Evergrove, he already got the authorities at Evergrove to be aware of Ernaut and catch him with whatever they can.


	14. Chapter 14: Bound for Evergrove

Today was a traditional business day for everyone in Castlemore. There wasn't any big events or anything big going on; people were talking to each other and doing errands for each other, all was good, until a child pointed a mysterious man walking in front of the town square in Castlemore who looked notably different than any other person in the Nexus. This mysterious man, looked like he was donning a uniform that no one else had worn before, and looked more like an outsider than a Nexusian.

"Hey! There's a mysterious man over there!" the child said to the woman who was walking with him, pointing out where he was walking. She was still looking at the mysterious stranger, as if she was trying to get her attention toward him. "That man with the strange-looking armor!"

"Oh, a mysterious man? I suppose he's just an ordinary stranger, let's go, alright?" the woman asked. She didn't even look like she wanted to be bothered on the way, as she kept on going.

"No! He is mysterious! Look at him!" the child said desperately, demanding her via pointing at him. She wanted her mother to look at him, because she knew that mysterious person meant something instead of just an ordinary visit.

"Look, listen, we don't talk to strangers and that's final-" the woman said but was interrupted by the mysterious man's voice which he just let out;

"Everyone, listen!" The mysterious man said. He was dressed in full armor clad in shiny blue outlines and black plating with no human skin visible. He was dressed in a way that it looked to be no other person in the Nexus at all, likely a non-Nexusian to everyone. He clapped his hands and let out a speech;

"What kind of armor is he wearing?" the woman asked, upon seeing him. "He looks very different from everyone else. He's no casual stranger, he's in fact a mysterious person that we've never seen before!"

"Now, this is the presence we are facing for Teya. This is the Epoch of the Comet. The Epoch of the Comet is an age of dark times where a comet fell on the east side of Teya. I, as an apprentice of the God-Emperors of Teya, must warn you of the threat that is bound for Teya. We need to find volunteers and heroes across Teya to help out in this situation. Follow the instructions I had for you followers, and you should be able to do the rest with the people on the other side of Teya. The threat started when a queen of a tribe, killed most of her people via sacrificing them to the Comet in attempt to gain such power. If we follow suit, we would become a world of anarchy!" The mysterious man said with a loud voice.

"Whatever he says, that makes no sense, so we're heading off right now." One of the townsfolk said, upon hearing him out. He didn't even believe on what the mysterious man was talking about, so he just moved on until the mysterious man let out another reply in order to try and gain some attention toward him in hopes that anyone would believe him;

"No! No! This is important! Anyone?" The mysterious man replied, hoping to get some answers that weren't just a shrug off. "Fine, I'll see if anyone wants to do it. If anyone is willing to support me, I'll bless this place with the Tear of Heaven."

"Wait, a Tear of Heaven? What exactly is that?" One of the townsfolk said.

"It's a magical crystal said to be blessed with the magical powers of the gods. If one of you believes and supports in me. I'll bless this kingdom with the magical crystal, and here it will find its rightful owner!" The mysterious man replied.

"Come on, you know that makes no sense. We don't know what exactly it is, and we don't care about anything that's too convoluted to understand." One other townsfolk said, upon the mysterious man's reply.

Ernaut was out looking out his window watching the mysterious blue armored man monologue a message warning about the Comet Caller. Even though the Comet Caller posed no such threat, Ernaut still had his interests in it, as if it was his number one curiosity for a while.

"What are you looking at?" Jeanne said, seeing Ernaut looking out his window after walking upstairs to his room. Ernaut looked very curious on his face, as if he wanted to learn more about the mysterious man's motives and what exactly the Comet Caller was, and what he meant by the Epoch of the Comet.

"Some mysterious guy talking about some monster from the other side of this world. He's not from Nexus, though." Ernaut replied.

"Well don't listen to him! He's better off forgotten! We do not care about the other side of Teya, because that's not relevant to what we do. What is relevant is ourselves, the kingdom of the Nexus!" Jeanne replied aggressively and closed the window.

"Fine. I guess I won't even care about him then, but that armored man spooks me though." Ernaut thought after that. "I guess no one will never know about the mysterious man, and it certainly won't be something that I will going to be caring about, because there's no way to believe in him in whatever he's saying…"

Ernaut woke up upon the Galleon's arrival at Evergrove. He heard the sound of a signal horn, which would have indicated that the ship had arrived at its destination. He realized that he had already heard of the Comet Caller from the mysterious armored man and forgot about it for quite some time because hardly anyone believed in him, and he'd never seen him again after that message, but that wasn't important right now for the situation he was in; what he needed to do now is find his way out of the ship without being detected in order to continue on. He was asleep in the cargo bay, where there were boxes and where he managed to find a document that talked about the new law of prohibiting witchcraft that would further fortify ways for the Nexus to get rid of him for witchcraft after being convicted back in Castlemore.

Upon the ship's deck arriving at the docks of the Evergrove Port, Ernaut knew he had to leave the ship as soon as he can, but without being seen. The deal was, there were a lot of people on the ship. Sure, there were some passengers on the ship, but as he knew, the floor he was in was the cargo floor, where there would be goods and other important assets to be delivered back and forth, and the upper floor was the floor where the passengers were, and the 3rd floor was where the sailors would control the ship and be on the lookout for anything in the ocean while they were traveling.

"Ernaut, I am detecting that the passengers are on their way down. You have to get out as soon as you can!" Karin said, encouraging Ernaut to make his move to leave the ship and go on to Evergrove.

"Okay, here's my plan. As soon as I get outside, I have to find somewhere to hide, because the passengers are on my way and I have to get out of there as soon as I can, but I'm not sure if Shion and his gang have followed me at all. I don't know if Wally had anything else in Evergrove to try and take me down, I don't know, but I'll have to find that out upon my journey through Evergrove." Ernaut said, while he was planning his escape.

"Casting concealed footsteps. You now have concealed footsteps while you're on the ship." Karin said, augmenting Ernaut's sounds to avoid being detected. Ernaut knew this was his chance to get out of there; Ernaut ran for the exit of the ship, but the ship's exit wasn't lowered yet, but Ernaut knew what to do, he had to make a running jump. Ernaut ran and ran until he made the jump. To prevent people from noticing him, he put on Genevie's gifted hood that he kept in his backpack in the hopes that people from Evergrove wouldn't even notice. The deal was, Ernaut had to get out of there, but this was his only chance, if he were to miss the dock; he would finally be spotted, but he had no choice; he ran and ran until he gained enough speed to make a long jump with the steps of silence.

"Alright Ernaut, you can do this!" Karin cheered, upon Ernaut running for the exit's deck. Ernaut ran and ran and eventually made the jump from the deck to the Evergrove Port's docks. Ernaut had finally made his way to Evergrove, and then he ran and ran away with his footsteps concealed. He had finally escaped from Aurora and aims to continue his mission to Evergrove, and find some way to travel to the eastern regions of Teya, also known as Ernaut's destination. He didn't know of the direction he was going, or how to get to any of the areas that were even located in Evergrove. He hadn't gotten around to memorize any of the towns or locations in Evergrove because so far in his life, he had never been to Evergrove in his life. Evergrove was another island in the Kingdom of Nexus, the second island that was acquired by the Nexus Capital before the island of Aurora.

However, the sailors already knew the situation thanks to the message Wally had sent to them when he saw Ernaut escape to the ship that was bound for Evergrove. Before the sailors could depart the passengers to the docks, the sailors had a message that was likely going to warn them about Ernaut's criminal status.

"Alright, passengers of the Galleon! Did you witness a boy with black hair, a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes?" the sailor said with an announcing tone. He had already gotten the news from Mayor Wally, but he knew that most people wouldn't have known about what Wally had planned on how to get rid of him.

"No, I haven't seen such a boy, but I did hear him back in Castlemore. He was on the run, I didn't want to join though because it wasn't worth chasing down a boy who has witchcraft, especially when I saw him fight off these mysterious ghosts and then Wally came in and took him away to the authorities." one of the passengers said. "He had been piggy-backing of off other people that were willing to support him, both which we've already cleared off, but I'm pretty sure that there might be more people supporting him in Evergrove, and those who would be able to understand his motives. Wait a second, that mysterious man. He was talking about something called a Tear of Heaven and even the Comet Caller which no one understood, except for him. He eventually got ahold of his sayings and then got the Tear of Heaven. The next day, he unlocked the Tear of Heaven inside of him, hoping to gain a lot more powers and be able to take on the Epoch of the Comet that the mysterious man was talking about. Little did he know, that no one else would be able to replicate what he did and now he's on the run fighting these mysterious ghosts which we now know as Chromas. Hopefully these Chromas won't be able to slip their way to Evergrove, because so far we've not seen a Chroma attack on a human yet, though Shion said that they were interrupted by one on the chase.

"Well, I had received word from Mayor Wally of Castlemore that a boy named Ernaut is currently on the way to Evergrove via this ship, and he wanted me to contact Beck and Quinn over at Evergrove to hunt that boy down and bring him to justice. If you see that boy, report him to Beck and Quinn if you witness them!" the sailor said, upon the passengers marching down with their luggage. "Remember, if you see any mysterious purple magic or those white ghosts again, that is the work of Ernaut, and that means you may be getting close to him!"

Ernaut ran and ran through the forest, with nowhere to go, and he didn't know what to do. Ernaut had never been to Evergrove before, and he didn't have a map of Evergrove or even the Nexus Capital to help him. The only place he went to was Aurora, because he grew up here as a kid and had never bothered to take any vacations elsewhere. Back when Ernaut was a kid, he had no friends or no relatives aside from his parents. He was sitting outside in an unnamed forest, with nowhere to go, or even what to do. He wasn't knowing his direction.

"Karin, give me a status update! Where are we?" Ernaut asked, upon running and running in the forest with nowhere to go or any traces of what to do from there. They didn't even know what direction they were going or where to go to find the Gems of Power and get out of the Nexus, which was the goal that Ernaut wanted after getting out of Castlemore, escaping from the Kingdom of Nexus and then heading east via a magical portal that would be cast by the Gems of Power, as stated by Karin.

"We seemed to be stranded somewhere in the forest. As for any threats, I am detecting some presences of Chromas, around here, but if you destroy them, I can gain more energy, and the more energy I gain, the more powers I discover." Karin said. "These Chromas are in front of you, but be careful, this presence here is colder than others in terms of darkness, which is how Chromas get stronger. They develop in the dark, similarly to the Shades, which if you recall they were the predecessor to them."

Ernaut fired needles at the Chromas, just like how he would fight off his enemies at ranged distances. It was easy work for him, but the only challenge wasn't even the Chromas. No, it wasn't even the environment he was it in, it's just that he has no familiarity with exploration in Evergrove, being his first time exploring Evergrove.

Ernaut was on the run for quite some time, and he is currently in hiding from the passengers of that ship, or any Nexus forces that posed a threat against him; whether it be guards or any new mercenaries that were commanded by Wally. He then eventually got tired after lots of lots of running from any people that could potentially see him, whether it be the guards, or any townsfolk of Evergrove, or anyone that was on that cruise ship at the time. Evergrove felt like a larger island than Aurora, and Ernaut recalled seeing signs of several towns in Evergrove, such as the mention of Hobbs's Summit and various other towns that he didn't want to enter. He can't even find a ship in order to take him east, because he knew that he'd get rejected from every one of them due to his criminal status.

"Karin, I want to be able to setup a tent for tonight, because as you know, I need rest to be able to continue my adventure." Ernaut said to Karin, upon deciding to stop somewhere to rest for the night. He knew that as an adventurer, every adventurer needs some rest time. Without sleep, it would be deemed as insomnia and would be harmful to his health, even with Karin inside of him.

"Granted. I will protect you while you sleep, and then I can warn you of any presences that are looking for you." Karin replied. Karin knew that she must protect whoever she was unlocked into at all times, even if it means the biggest subjects to her. However, Karin's magical abilities aren't unlimited, as they are only recharged by fighting Chromas, and recalling Ernaut's dreams, Ernaut still has yet to learn many more powers from her.

Ernaut had set up his tent with the assistance of Karin's powers; assembly of the Tent with extra hands and setting up his own campfire; this time with Karin's purple fires, which carries a smell of sweet flowers. Ernaut had yawned, and felt like he was getting tired for the night. Because Ernaut had nowhere to stay at night, he had to set up camp with Karin providing the assets to camp out. To prevent others from tracking Karin, the fire and tent is capable of masking it to the basic colors so other trackers can't tell the difference, the only obvious difference is that Karin's flames don't even hurt anyone and always provide light.

"Sleep well, I'll be on the lookout for any Chromas, wild animals, or anyone that is currently opposing you." Karin said, wishing him sweet dreams. Ernaut had his first day at Evergrove, but he hasn't got to a town yet, only somewhere in the forest, and had not met anyone in Evergrove that was willing to help him, but he always knew that most of the people in Evergrove would be aware that he was wanted in Castlemore for witchcraft, but it was pretty obvious to him that Wally and Shion were not giving up on their plans to get rid of him and his secret witchcraft or Karin as Ernaut would say for example, but that wasn't the point right now, what was the point right now is that Ernaut is still on the run, and as he knows, he needs rest to be able to survive for himself, but Karin was able to look out for any dangers outside, so he at least had some assistance for whatever goes on at night since he has no proper way to really sleep as in a bed or anything like that since he was still on the run from the Nexus and he had already evacuated from Aurora.


	15. Chapter 15: Unwanted Guest

It was at the dead of night. The sound of the wolves howling echoed from pretty much anywhere in the wilderness. At the time of night, no one could see in the forest, but there was the feeling that Ernaut knew that they would not give up on him, even at nighttime, because in the past, he'd learnt of a military captain named Beck who preferred fighting in nighttime rather than daytime because it gives him more of a preemptive stance where all of his enemies would be unaware of his sights. He didn't even see him or had read of any his past tales, because he wasn't the type of guy who would learn more about the forces that work at night, especially when most of them were just criminals, but Beck was the oddball, he'd fight in the military but only worked in the night because it gave him the best performance and most military forces don't work at night at the time. He also learned of another military captain that worked for the Nexus named Quinn, who was known as the Daybreaker. She specialized in a dual crossbows, but had one weakness; accuracy. Often times, she would not attack anyone in crowds or anything, due to the risk of friendly fire especially her fighting style of akimbo. The point was at the time, Ernaut was asleep, but he was also worried about any potential forces that could be out to get him, whether it be wild animals, or even worse, the military themselves. Though he had already heard of Beck and Quinn by reading books telling about the military of the Nexus, he hadn't even seen them in person or any artworks possible, so he couldn't make out what they would've looked like aside from their main weapon of choice.

Throughout the past nights, Ernaut wasn't pretty much worried about any potential forces that work in the dark, because he didn't know of very much many, but eventually he knew that he'd stumble one upon his journey to escape from the Nexus and stop his journey that the Tear of Heaven wanted. In fact, Ernaut had already unlocked the Tear of Heaven inside of him, but he still didn't know how to release it from himself, and even though he wanted the powers to be able to do what the Tear of Heaven wanted to do, he'd wish that he was able to undo the damages that the Chromas did in the past, and let alone keeping his parents alive before he was exposed with the powers and eventually revealed to be having witchcraft, or the mysterious powers that no one else could replicate or even believe it, because they never even cared about the outside forces that weren't related to the Nexus.

The shadowman had ran through the forest, looking for the one with the Tear of Heaven, which was a military action no one had ever done in the Nexus, but the shadowman had no choice, because he'd knew that Ernaut would be exhausted in the night, and that would make a perfect timing to get rid of him and win the diamonds for life, because justice for Mayor Wally is what matters for Shion, Wally, and everyone else in the Nexus, except for Ernaut. He had a glowstone-branded rapier that would be used as his method of vision in the dark. He already was told of a report on how to find Ernaut; via his abilities indicated in purple magic or a boy wearing a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes. He eventually caught up with Ernaut upon reaching his report about his abilities, and then at one point while running through the forest; he came across a tent which had purple glows, as if it was made with the powers of Karin, or the Spirit of Heaven.

"Ernaut, I am detecting a mysterious shadowman on the way to your presence. He is probably looking to kill you, so you have to get out of here!" Karin warned, upon the shadow that could've been made of a man running towards him inside of the tent that Karin made for him during his first night at Evergrove.

"A shadowman? I'll deal with this!" Ernaut tried to run away, but he was interrupted by the shadowman's voice who had called him out;

"Stop right there!" The shadowman said to Ernaut who was trying to run away. He was known as Beck, or Captain Beck in the military. Beck was one of the royal commanders in the Nexus, and specialized in hunting in the shadows, who Ernaut already knew during the old crusades that he participated in. He was dressed in black and gold clothes; a black fedora, a black and gold captain's uniform, and black pants and black shoes. He had one weapon of choice; the rapier which had a ribbon that said "Shadows = merciless" on it, meaning he works even more seriously in the nighttime than in the daytime. From Ernaut to Beck, he'd think that Beck is nocturnal due to his living standards; he sleeps during the day and stays up all night, but that wasn't true, he fights during the day sometimes but gets more serious in the night due to being able to take advantage of all of his surroundings as he can.

"I'm Ernaut! All you're doing is trying to stop me just because I wanted to bow down to the Epoch of the Comet! You're just trying to annoy me because of it!"

"It is the Nexus's rules to not bow down to anything that non-Nexusian. It is there because Wally didn't want to bow down to the legend of you know, the Comet Caller told by that strange armored man which we don't even care about. To tell you the truth, Wally designed these laws in order to keep people from being peer pressured. If it has zero evidence, don't bother. We updated these laws so witchcraft has no exceptions whatsoever, so we can't have any more people assisting you whatsoever! If we find any people that dare to assist you, we'll be taking them in as well!"

"What about those Chromas, those white ghosts?" Ernaut asked towards Beck. He'd hope that he at least would think about how to take down the Chromas, or let alone have witnessed any in Evergrove at the moment, because he didn't know very much incidents that happened with the Chromas but without him at the scene aside from the ruined house back in Aurora where one was likely attacked.

"Chromas? Ha! We believe YOU are the one that's causing it with your witchcraft, because I heard that your parents got killed by those white ghosts who also destroyed your house, and then you destroyed them with your own powers from that thingamajig or whatever you call it!" Beck said back to him, calling the Tear of Heaven a "thingamajig", which Ernaut felt like he was being insulted.

"It's not a thingamajig, it's the Tear of Heaven, and it has a God in it who wants me to end the Epoch of the Comet and resolve a faraway ruler named Aruku. Now go away!" Ernaut said back angrily, trying to think about any possible ways to stop Beck from chasing him, or hoping for what could be a Chroma come up to him and eventually distract Beck from it.

"You're a wanted criminal so I'm not giving up until you do! Who cares about Aruku? Who cares about the Comet? They're not that important to us! Did that crystal in fact tell you about it? If you hadn't gotten its powers inside of you, we would've been able to understand all of that, but that still wouldn't change everything else!"

"Well there was this one mysterious man who came to Castlemore and explained everything to us, and no one believed in me, save for only a few people who collected information about what he was talking about, such as the Epoch of the Comet. He's very strange looking, especially that black and blue armor that concealed his face. I don't know where he's from either, and I've never seen him again afterward."

"Now listen, Ernaut, nobody cares about the Comet Caller, nobody cares about that mysterious man, and nobody cares about Aruku, because why we, to be exact would? They're all way too far, and they're all no such threat towards us."

"There was this one woman named Janice, and we were talking about Aruku and the Comet, and if it weren't for the Tear of Heaven getting to that cave and I myself finding it, none of this adventure would've happened anyway! But now you are, on the run from me, and I have powers far greater than you!" Ernaut was running and running. He then decided to fire a few Spirit Needles on the trees above him to quake the ground a bit and hopefully intercept Beck for a little bit. As the branches fell to the ground, there was a little quake and Beck stopped for a bit.

"Loud noises? I really need to get around this, but as you know, I hate loud noises because in the wars, they would catch me real easily if there were loud noises, but calm down Beck, you can still chase him down." Beck slowed down a bit, but the fallen branches still weren't enough to halt Beck. He eventually walked slowly over the branches to avoid tripping, and then Beck kept on running and running towards Ernaut. He still didn't even have any ranged weaponry or any way to take down Ernaut. He thought of using the horn to get Quinn alongside with him, but he'd end up waking up most of Evergrove while doing so.

The running went on and on, eventually coming across from outside the forest. Ernaut didn't even know which path to take, but he still didn't have any time to waste. He came across an injured person which looked like he needed help. Ernaut tried to help him, but the injured person eventually realized that he himself was the wanted criminal. Ernaut tried to please him, but the injured person suddenly transformed into a Chroma, as if he already was attacked by another Chroma.

"So these Chromas can even infect people to turn them!" Ernaut said, upon the injured person mutating into a Chroma. It was one of the most shocking sights that Ernaut had ever seen. He'd heard of times where people got attacked by the Chromas, but never when a person becomes turned into one of them.

"What on earth is going on?" Beck said, upon seeing the Chroma attack Ernaut.

"You're not gonna catch me! You're not gonna catch me!" Ernaut said back to Beck. He eventually decided to take advantage of the Chroma and its surroundings, and how to use it to get past Beck. He wasn't going to attack the Chroma because it could easily lose his advantage against Beck. Instead, Ernaut eventually had no choice but to slide under the Chroma that was about to attack him. Beck stopped and felt like he was being cornered by the Chroma. Even his glowstone rapier wasn't enough to repel it.

"Curse you Ernaut! We'll eventually find you!" Beck said, giving up upon the presence of a Chroma that he himself had no known method of actually taking down. He actually gave up when he realized that his rapier couldn't even kill the Chromas at all, and then he gave up upon the Chroma attacking him back.

Ernaut ran and ran until he found a perfect stop; a house that was ruined down. He had finally felt the sense of outrunning him thanks to the help of the Chromas, a monster which had invaded Nexus which no one but himself knows how to stop. He remembered how the Chromas arrived, and he still believed that no one else was unable to do it.

"Ernaut, are you sure you want to sleep in this run down house? It looks pretty uncomfortable to my sights, let alone it's a possible target for Chroma infiltration." Karin asked, questioning Ernaut's actions upon him choosing to decide to hide out in the run down and ruined home.

"Yes, yes I am. I outrun Beck and exhausted him, and I really need some rest, because as you know, you can't really push me through everything you want me to do, I have my limits, and everyone else has their limits."

Ernaut felt like he already outrun Beck and found somewhere safe to hide for right now. He had already settled in the run down home that he had found. It was already infiltrated with Chromas that Ernaut already fought and cleared to regenerate Karin's energy, but the bed was still sustainable for at least one night. He'd eventually fell asleep in the run down bed. Karin had already put up a shield for him that would protect him from any predators or any forces, so Ernaut still at least had the protection of Karin while he is asleep in the wilderness.

"Ernaut, I think I know where to go from here. If you need to know where to go. I have detected that there might be a soul in Evergrove that might be willingly supportive of you, instead of being hostile to you. Hopefully, you will find some progress towards your route east and eventually continue on from Evergrove with the aid of him." Karin said after Ernaut fell asleep. Karin still knew what to do when Ernaut was asleep, she is able to look around his surroundings and alert him of any possible dangers, because that's one of the roles of a sentinel being, protect its master at all costs, no matter who pays it.


	16. Chapter 16: Beyond the Tombs

Ernaut had already waken up early on the run-down house. There was no time to waste right now when it came to outrunning Beck or possibly any other force that could get in his way. Still though, he still didn't know what else to expect on his journey across Evergrove. He still refused to get to any towns or villages, or talk to any other people, because they would've already known at the point that he's a total fugitive that has escaped many times, eventually becoming the most wanted criminal in Nexusian history. He already knew that there were Chromas in the area, but what he didn't know before from yesterday is that when a Chroma attacks a human, they turn into a Chroma as if they become infected by it. Ernaut still had a healthy dream omen to be able to withstand attacks from the Chromas, and the weapons that Karin had were still enough to fight them off.

Leaving the run-down house, Ernaut still couldn't think of where to go or what to do in the wilderness of Evergrove. He didn't even know where he was going, or where to go to find his way east, whether it be a ship to take him there or even a portal there! In fact, he was stranded in the wilderness, being chased by dozens of forces, and with no direction whatsoever. Eventually after some time, Ernaut came across another settlement which Karin warned of a possible Chroma infiltration.

Approaching the area where Karin said that there was a Chroma infiltration, it was a cemetery; there were dozens of old graves which represent buried people. Each of them had varying names and dates, but that wasn't the point. Ernaut was trying to get away from any possible force out there, whether it be other people, wilderness, or even Chromas to fight. But then, two Chroma Princes appeared in the area, ready to fight Ernaut.

"Alright, two Chroma Princes! I can handle this!" Ernaut said to himself, preparing for his next fight with the Chromas. He had fought against the Chromas many times, and already knew the basics on how to deal with them. What he still refused to do at the moment, is actually fight them using his dream omen, because he still felt that using Karin's weapons was still the best way right now to him.

Ernaut readied his Spirit weapons and got ready to take care of the Chroma Princes. During this fight, Karin aided Ernaut to watch out for their ranged attacks and when to attack at the best moment. For example, Karin would alert Ernaut to dodge any of the ranged attacks and melee slashes that the Chroma Princes could do, and then Ernaut would attack them with the Spirit Fists.

Having defeated both of the Chroma Princes and absorbing them both into energy for Karin, there was a sound of what could be footsteps, Ernaut looked around, and there was a sight of an old man that was walking up to him. By the looks of it, he may've witnessed Ernaut fighting off the Chromas, but it looked kind of neutral at the situation right now.

"Hey you!" the old man said. By the look on his face, he didn't seem he was willing to be threatening against Ernaut, but Ernaut didn't know at first whether he was opposing him or trying to help him out, so he still had his back turned toward him.

"No! Don't go ahead and tell me that I'm a criminal! I'm a good boy!" Ernaut didn't want to be pressured by anyone who posed as a threat to him, but he didn't know if the old man was opposing him or not, but he figured he'd let him talk. He thought about running away again in case he was another person that would be against him, but then he stopped when Karin interrupted him;

"This man, I've mind-read him. He seems to be willing to help you out, and maybe being supportive of you. As you can see, the Tear of Heaven has a few abilities, like reading the minds of people and alerting you of any possible dangers." Karin said.

"I'm not going to pass you as a criminal. Having heard of you as a defendant for witch trials in Castlemore. I heard of your backstory and your motives, and I think this time, I want to help you. There is a city in the island of Evergrove, and I'm going to easily carry you through, but it's not going to be easy, for instance did you see a black-dressed man named Beck here?"

"Yes. He was told by Shion to also hunt me down, Shion was one of the many forces he's got against me, and I heard he's got more. All this was started by Mayor Wally, who he knew that I was somehow bringing these Chromas and I was able to destroy them, but what they're actually believing right now is that I am the one who brought the Chromas, even this thing is seeming to be the only way to defeat them right now."

"He also likely called Quinn. Quinn was the woman that fought in the olden wars with only her dual crossbows. She became known as the Daybreaker for how she brandished her crossbows in the sunshine. Did you hear about Quinn? The crossbow woman who fought in the wars with her fighting style of akimbo?"

"Yes. Yes I did. Back when I was younger and didn't even hear about the Comet or the Tear of Heaven. I've heard off the olden wars, where Beck and Quinn were both the finest military soldiers in the wars. Sometime before I heard of the Tear of Heaven or even Aruku, there was this mysterious man that came to the Nexus and told about it to us, and because we didn't even know about it or were simply unable to believe it, we just ignored it. I've never seen that mysterious man. You know, that mysterious man with the strange blue armor and he didn't even have a human face? Then after he was trying to pressure people to get help, I've heard of witnesses saying that he teleported away with strange magic, and others saying that they know nothing about it. I started to get interested in Aruku and the Tear of Heaven after helping a woman named Janice bring something in from the eastern lands of Teya, and then we both learned about it. Eventually on the next day, the Tear of Heaven fell down, I unlocked it but I mostly hid most of the powers, until the Chromas came and wrecked my house to pieces, I fought them off, but now they are recognizing me as their biggest criminal ever because I simply got something that they refused to believe in. It's basically something if you cannot reproduce or properly retell it, they cannot believe it at all. Let's just say if I were to actually accomplish something like successfully getting diamonds from the mine. I would be proud of it, but it would be miracle to take for other people, but that's only a minority compared to what is going on right now. What is going on right now, is that I evacuated from Castlemore by sneaking onto the ship, but Wally knew that I would be sneaking onto the ship likely because he knew about Genevie's reports. Genevie was a good friend of Janice, she collected a lot of archives and even told me a bit of history about Aruku and even other tribe known as the Haven Tribe and Gabriella. I remember there was once a painting called Fall of Gabriella, but I don't know if that painting is even true or not. I'd have to find out. So, that's it. That's how I got to this mess simply by doing this. If they had believed in the Tear of Heaven, none of this would've happened, but that subject itself is way too convoluted for them to understand."

"I understand. The name is Isaiah. I am a retired researcher who had been interested on new ideas that weren't explored in the Nexus. I'd worked in libraries and at one point served the Nexus military, as proof shown on one of my badges on my robe right now." Isaiah replied, showing the badge that he had been wearing on his robe. He looked older than most people, likely around the 50s-60s.

"So, speaking of Evergrove, where are we exactly? This island is way bigger than Aurora, and I've been running and running for hours trying to get away from any force that was out to get me at this point, and I have no idea where I am exactly. All I was doing was being chased by Beck, this Chroma victim eventually turned into a Chroma, and then all of this." Ernaut asked, not knowing where to go.

"We are apparently in the southern region of Evergrove. You apparently, if you got here from the port of Castlemore, you must've been running south from the docks from the northern region of Evergrove, because Aurora is north of Evergrove, and the Nexus Capital is west of both islands. Where exactly do you want to go, and what can I do for you?" Isaiah replied and asked back.

"Well, I need to know where I need to go to find my way east where the Comet is and who can take me there. I need to find out a possible solution to find my way east."

"I have no idea what you are talking about. What do you mean, your way east? Where exactly is this Comet?"

"The Comet started all of this, it all started when the Epoch of the Comet started, some chieftain named Aruku took action, and then used the Tear of Heaven but eventually abandoned it. She fought the Shades, but due to her actions on bowing down the Comet, they were able to give birth to what we call the Chromas, the successors to the Shades except that they take in the form of light instead of darkness. I need to get to there because the Tear of Heaven wants me to, but I don't know if I'm gonna be able to take a ship or a portal to get there. Its across from here, all the way east."

"All the way east? There's no way a ship will be able to cross the world east to get to where you want. I don't know if portals were ever a thing, but I need to learn more about that. I've never ever heard of a portal that could take you there. I'm not sure how would that work anyway. Oh, let me recap what you told me earlier, you said a mysterious man talked about Aruku and the Comet, we forgot about it until eventually the Tear of Heaven came down and a few people started to become interested in the topic, now I understand. I don't know who that mysterious man is and how he's getting there. What did that mysterious man look like?"

"Well, he was this mysterious strange man, he wore a mysterious black and blue armor and his face was concealed. You can't see any skin from him, and he was just talking about it back in Castlemore. Of course, as my parents didn't even want me to hear about it, they told me that he was better off forgotten. I was eventually told lies like pigeons talking about it and whatever they told me to hide the truth about this mysterious man, because it would've been too convoluted to understand. Eventually, some people got interested in Aruku and the Comet, myself included. I got the Tear of Heaven and eventually unlocked it. I was told that my mission is to find my way east using a portal somewhere in here and then I'll find my way east to destroy the Comet."

"As for this portal, do you know exactly where it is, and what's powering it? I don't know how that portal works, so I can't really understand what exactly you were talking about when it comes to portals."

"I was told that there was a portal somewhere in this area, it's in an isolated island that houses magical jewels known as the Gems of Power, which as you know, power up the portal, and then if the jewels were to go out of order, the portal would stop working, which as you know, I'm not sure exactly where it is or how to even get there, but I'll likely need a ship to find, and then the Tear of Heaven would aid me on finding it."

"You need a ship? I don't know about getting a ship here. Nobody's going to give you a ship here in Evergrove, because you are still a wanted criminal. They cannot afford to let anymore getaways from you, which as you know I think at this point, they are furthering their game with you and eventually getting more and more forces after you. Is that why you were running in Evergrove for hours?"

"I'll figure that out, I snuck onto that cargo ship unnoticed, but they still knew about me, according to whatever was going on in there. I unlocked the Tear of Heaven which lets me do things which nobody else can, such as magical weaponry or concealed footsteps, all that stuff. There are apparently a lot more powers that I can unleash with the Tear of Heaven, but I've still yet to learn them."

"Alright, alright, I think I've heard enough. Let's head on in and get you settled, I think I might know what to do." Isaiah said, having enough of what Ernaut is talking about right now.

Ernaut and Isaiah walked to the house located in the forest, which would be known as Isaiah's home. Usually in the Nexus, there is a mix between living in the town and living in rural areas, which is common across the islands of Aurora and Evergrove, but not in the Nexus Capital due to the highly developed cities over there, which is noted as Aurora and Evergrove were acquired much later after the Nexus Capital was founded.

"Now, I would've chosen to live out in the cities, but as I knew that moving into a city would be a lot more expensive for me, I choose to actually save money and instead invest in a rural house in the forest." Isaiah said.

"Alright, I think I might have somewhere to sleep here, so I'll take a break from tenting right now. Yes, unlocking the Tear of Heaven has many abilities into me, such as the tent for survival and sleeping purposes. She was also able to warn me about Beck, the soldier that works in the night." Ernaut thought, heading inside the house of Isaiah.

Heading inside the house of Isaiah, there was a fireplace running. There were dozens of military badges on the walls as well as some notes regarding research, such as questions like "What exactly is the Comet Caller?" meaning that Isaiah had at least some interest in the Comet Caller, just like Janice and Genevie. Ernaut felt like he'd finally got settled somewhere to stay in Evergrove right now, but he still didn't know of a plan.

"Isaiah? Do you have a map of Evergrove? I need to see it because I need to do some planning right now on where exactly I need to go right now." Ernaut asked, thinking of a plan of where to go to find his way east from Evergrove.

"Here it is. It's on my desk in my writing room." Isaiah replied, guiding Ernaut where he needed to go and eventually heading to his bedroom to read one of his books before going to bed.

"Still living with the supporters? I'm still surprised at this point there are still people in the Nexus supporting you after what happened back in Aurora." Karin said, when Ernaut was walking towards the writing room that Isaiah told him where the map of Evergrove was.

"Well Karin, I think I might have a plan, I need to be able to find a ship and then eventually find my way to the Gems of Power, and then take the portal to find my way east, and then solve all of this, but as you know, I'll need to work my way through it. You can't just like miracle your way to victory, because sure, you can use magic, but that's only just my defensive methods right now, what I actually need to do right now is accomplish something big, like learn how to build a ship or do a unique thing to get there or something." Ernaut said back to Karin.

"Ernaut? Who are you talking to?" Isaiah asked, being curious on what exactly Ernaut was talking to.

"Oh, that was Karin, the Tear of Heaven. She usually talks to me to reflect what I did during my days." Ernaut replied.

"Oh, I understand. I didn't know that the Tear of Heaven could talk. I thought they were just crystals of magic."

Night fell in Evergrove, Ernaut had a temporary place to stay so he didn't need to use Karin's tents right now. He slept in Isaiah's house comfortably and was able to avoid the Nexus's guards right now. Before going to sleep, Ernaut had already looked at the map of Evergrove, which he knew where to go. Taking in mind what Genevie told him about and the map of Evergrove, he'd later found out that the island that has the portal and the Gems of Power is apparently east from Evergrove. The eastern region of Evergrove leads to one of the larger towns of Evergrove, Hobbs's Summit, which he'll eventually have to cross to the docks to take a ship from there. He also was thinking about different ideas, like learning how to actually attack the Nexus forces and therefore ruin his chances of possibly coming back, which to Ernaut, actually meant something; he'd wish for his home to come back after destroying the Comet and changing everything, because he felt that there will never be a place like home right now to him; the town of Castlemore, which had reminded as the town that he grew up in, from his childhood to his starting adulthood. He thought of his parents; Noah and Jeanne, and he still didn't know if he still wanted them or not after fulfilling his mission. He still didn't know if they were still alive or taken somewhere, but he'd need to figure that out as the further he goes into fighting the Chromas…"


	17. Chapter 17: The Monster

Over the night staying at Isaiah's still in the island of Evergrove, Ernaut still was unable to think of what to do next. He also couldn't think of how could a person without a Tear defeat a Chroma or even survive an attack from one. From what he recalled from the chase with Beck, if a person gets attacked by the Chroma, they become mutated into one as possible. He already knew about most of the various dangers and how to even attack the Chromas. From what he recalled when he was talking with Karin about the Chromas, she said that there were currently four ranks of Chromas; Rooks, Princes, Kings, and then finally Chromas, with each higher rank more powerful than the previous one in terms of abilities and strength. So far, he had fought against at least a few Chroma Princes as well as many Rooks, but currently no Kings or Omegas so far.

"Ernaut? We're going to Hobbs's Summit. I'll guide you, but eventually I will have to stop somewhere to head back on my own. I highly doubt you'll make it to there all by yourself, because you will have no direction on where to go and what to do. You are going to be guided likely around halfway there and eventually you'll be on your own from there. Is that okay with you, or are you fine traveling on your own from there?" Isaiah asked.

"Alright Isaiah. I need your help, because I need to look at the map and compass to be able to determine where I am going on the way to Hobbs's Summit, because as you know, I've never been to Evergrove so I didn't know where I was going early on." Ernaut replied.

"We're heading off right now, and your choice is made. I'll pack up, because eventually we will have to stop for the night and rest up for a bit, because we're not traveling in the night." Isaiah said, before heading to pack up supplies for the trip to Hobbs's Summit to continue Ernaut's journey east, or the promise he made to the Tear of Heaven.

Ernaut and Isaiah had packed up everything that they needed for the trip of Hobbs's Summit. Ernaut didn't want to stay in Evergrove forever and not accomplish anything for the Tear of Heaven, because he felt like he was too faithful to be able to break Karin's promise of heading east to end the Epoch of the Comet and destroying all of the Chromas from taking over Teya. They headed out the house they slept in for the night and started to head north, which was from the same direction that Ernaut was running from. Accordingly, he was running south from the northern docks, which were the same docks that had that ship from Aurora to Evergrove that Ernaut managed to sneak into to find his way to Evergrove, but that wasn't the direction that they were going. The direction that they were going was northeast, to a town called Hobbs's Summit, because according to Karin, finding their way to the eastern lands of Teya involves traveling east to find a portal that could take him there, which apparently can be sailed east from the docks of Hobbs's Summit.

Ernaut and Isaiah started to travel northeast to find their way to Hobbs's Summit. Then, at one point, there appeared to be a mysterious white form, Ernaut knew that it had to be the Chromas, but eventually, it was much larger than anything that they've encountered. Ernaut knew this was going to be another battle for him. No, it wasn't going to be one of those short battles against the Chromas, this one was going to be a larger battle against a new monster that he hasn't faced before; a new entity of the Chromas that is bigger than all of the previous ones that he has fought against.

"Is that… another one of these mysterious white ghosts, or whatever exactly you call them?" Isaiah said, pointing at the larger Chroma that was larger than a Chroma Prince, and it looked more dangerous given its stronger capabilities.

"These white ghosts are called Chromas, and I think I saw a King Chroma right there! We have to be careful, because these are much more dangerous than the Princes I've been fighting recently. I'll be the one to handle this one, you stay back."

Starting off the fight, Ernaut knew that he must be aware of the King Chroma's attacks, as well as making sure Isaiah is safe during the fight, because right now he has no way of actually fighting against the King Chroma because he doesn't even have the weapons to even fight them. First off, he had to be aware of what the King Chroma was able to do towards him and when to attack him at the right time. The King Chroma attacked first; as indicated by the strikes of light that Ernaut dodged. Isaiah stayed back during the fight, hopefully to get out of the way and sight from it. Taking advantage of every attack, Ernaut cast his weapons toward him; the Spirit Fist for close ranged attacks, and the Spirit Needle for ranged attacks. Both of them had minimal effect, because Ernaut knew that the King Chroma was much tougher than even the Chroma Princes that he had fought in the past.

"Alright, this is how I fight against the larger Chromas. First, I keep track on how they are attacking me first, I take advantage of these attacks, dodge them, and then strike them back with my own weaponry. This is going to take me a while because this one is much more resistant to my own attacks; my fists and needles. No, I don't have something like a longsword or something that's a little more powerful, though I did witness being able to use a longsword in my dreams, though that's still something I will have to learn for myself the further I am in my journey." Ernaut said towards Isaiah, while doing the same thing every time the King Chroma attacked him with his own abilities. Thanks to Karin, he was able to dodge at the right times and be warned of where the attacks are, because that was something that the Tear of Heaven would provide; wisdom and knowledge. One of the abilities that the Tear of Heaven or Karin was able to do was to mind-read people, something that it itself can only do right now. Mind reading is an exclusive ability that determines the minds of people and if they are antagonizing or willing to help the owner, but that wasn't the point right now. The ability that Ernaut is demonstrating, is not something from the Tear of Heaven itself, but rather something that would be able to use when the owner unlocks the Tear of Heaven onto itself. As noted, unlocking the Tear of Heaven into the owner's body grants the user many new abilities that cannot be done, such as unleashing spirit weaponry, concealing footsteps, and being able to keep track on how the enemies are attacking him. Every time Ernaut defeats a Chroma, they are not disintegrated, but instead absorbed into the Tear of Heaven to recharge its powers. As noted, Karin's powers are not unlimited and must be recharged by fighting Chromas, mostly with its weapons.

"Alright Ernaut, I'm staying back right now, I need to be on the lookout for any more dangers out there asides from that King Chroma." Isaiah said, stepping back a bit to look out for any potential Chromas or any intruders that were out to get them.

The fight with the King Chroma was very tough. The King Chroma eventually attacked Ernaut by hitting him several times with its arms of light, but thanks to unlocking the Tear of Heaven, Ernaut was able to sustain minimal injuries, but Ernaut still had to take down the King Chroma to be able to continue on, so Ernaut took advantage of the King Chroma by instead of hitting them in the head, but instead through its arms to strike them off, so Ernaut charged up several bursts with the Spirit Needle, shot the bursts into the arms to blast them off, weakening the King Chroma and eventually getting to a point where Ernaut wanted to end the fight right now.

"Now let's finish this!" Ernaut jumped upward and then finished off the King Chroma using his Spirit Fists, disintegrating it into energy for Karin and then jumping down safely. Ernaut knew that he was victorious against the large monster, also known as the King Chroma, the third rank of the Chromas. So far, he had never encountered any Omegas, which are stated to be even more powerful than even the King Chromas according to Karin. Ultimately as he knew, the worse the nightmares become, the stronger the Chromas become. So far, he'd fought against rook Chromas, 3 Chroma Princes, and 1 King, but no Omegas so far.

"Ernaut! I think you've defeated the King Chroma, but there are some rook Chromas approaching!" Isaiah warned.

"Alright, that's no problem. I can take it from here with my Spirit Fists." Ernaut ran towards the 3 Chromas that Isaiah pointed out that were after him, cast fist after fist with his Spirit Fists, and then took down the Chromas easily, absorbing them into Karin.

"Anyways, is it safe from here? I can see that you've vanquished the King Chroma. How many of these guys have you fought?" Isaiah asked, being interested on taking note on how Ernaut was able to fight the Chromas and willing to learn more about them.

"I fought my first Chromas back when they took my parents back in Castlemore. I later on found the Chroma Princes, which were the second rank of the Chromas, and now I fought against my first King Chroma. It was a bit of a tough fight, but I managed to stand out strong. Karin said that there was a fourth entity to the Chromas called Omegas. Little is known about these except that during Aruku's time, there were no Omega Shades whatsoever, only Kings, and they are also extraordinary rare, so I don't expect to come across on any Omegas anytime soon, or even right now." Ernaut replied.

"So, where to then? I forgot where we are going right now. Where are we headed again? Our compass seems to be pointing northeast right now." Isaiah asked, upon getting back on track after when Ernaut successfully defeated the King Chroma. He had already lost track of things when the King Chroma interfered with their travel to northeast to get to Hobbs's Summit.

"We're still going to Hobbs's Summit to find my way to eastern Teya and continue my quest from there. It'll be only me to find my way east, as the way east is too dangerous for anyone else, especially without any prior knowledge about the eastern lands of Teya. Keep in mind, I'm one of the only people that believed in Aruku, the Comet, and the eastern lands of Teya. Don't worry about tents or sleeping bags, because I still have Karin here to provide us some protection for the night."

"Tents or sleeping bags? I already packed two sleeping bags within my own traveling backpack, but why are you stating that Karin can do it for us? Is that something that you have to unlock the Tear of Heaven to do that? Or can the Tear of Heaven do that without unlocking it?" Isaiah asked, being curious on what can the Tear of Heaven do for Ernaut.

"Well, right now I think it's something that I have to unlock the Tear of Heaven before I can use them. The Spirit Fist and Needle, my two weapons, can only be used by unlocking the Tear of Heaven. Things like concealed footsteps and being alerted on attacks; are also only usable by unlocking the Tear of Heaven into me. I think the mind-reading thing could be used outside of unlocking, but I don't know about its unique abilities that can be done without unlocking. As for this tent, yes. It takes a lot more energy to consume, and thus, it requires me to unlock the Tear of Heaven onto it, because it functions as my own sentinel bodyguard throughout my journey. She warns me of monsters, any dangers out there, especially that one time where she warned me of Beck hunting after me. If it weren't for that, Beck would've caught me and my quest would've ended there." Ernaut replied.

"Oh, alright then. I didn't know that the Tear of Heaven, or should I say the Spirit of Heaven or Karin, was already capable of so many things. It does so many things that I don't know how many abilities and knowledges does this thing has. You have to delve deeper into the heart of Karin to be able to master them all." Isaiah said back to him.

"Anyways Isaiah, lets continue on. I think we need to get a move on in case any more of these Chromas show up or any potential wildlife or even worse; Nexus military forces after us." Ernaut said before they moved on.

Ernaut and Isaiah eventually continued onward to northeast towards the direction of Hobbs's Summit. With the assistance of Karin, they were both able to get some safe sleep with the help of Karin's magical tents. Ernaut knew that he was getting closer to his destination, and that he'd needed some rest after a large battle against a new enemy that he had never faced before, but before Ernaut was able to go to sleep for the night, Karin wanted to talk again to talk about something that he did today;

"So, you got injured from the fight against the King Chroma. You were attacked for real by the King Chroma, but you sustained minor damages from you. How would you feel about the people that were attacked by the Chromas and lost their lives to them? Do you remember that one injured man that eventually mutated down to a Chroma while you were being chased by Beck? How would you feel about those people losing their lives to the Chromas? Do you feel like you could've saved them?" Karin asked.

"Yes, I feel like that would've been something more of a potential, I could've saved lives from the Chromas, but here's the thing, the injured person that I saw on the chase from Beck wasn't that friendly to me. I don't see why a criminal would redeem himself or herself after doing something great but with something that would've been illegal. That sounds kind of confusing to me, but that's something I might encounter when I finally get out of the Nexus and into the eastern lands of Teya. As you know, there are people without any laws or rules out there and they are notably more underdeveloped than our kingdom, especially Aruku and her Hawk Tribe." Ernaut replied.

"Fun fact; do you know how many people of the eastern region have been killed by the Shades? Take a guess." Karin asked.

"Only a few?"

"You were right. Only a few tribes were lost to the Shades back then during Aruku's journey. This was because Aruku kept on going and going on her quest. She never hit that many stops against any various obstacles on her quest, while I right there seem to hitting obstacle after obstacle after obstacle, because as you know, I can't just get to where I want instantly, and we people don't even know how to even survive a Chroma attack or even fend one off without the help of Tear like me."

"I understand that the Shades were dealt with really good back then. I suppose the Chromas are now upping their game against us right now because they knew that we could easily beat the Shades down. I suppose that's why that they invented the Omega Chromas, but so far, we haven't seen any Omega Chromas."

"That's right, you haven't seen any Omegas, and you probably won't for a while. They're extremely rare, but they're also extremely powerful. One thing that you need to know about the Omegas, is that unlike the mainline Chromas, they harness the power of elements against you and various large-scale weaponry. And no, they're not giants, but they instead take the form of animals. As you can see, size doesn't mean that it's stronger for the Omegas this time. You have to take in mind their abilities, strengths, and weaknesses, because that's how you fight."

"Alright Karin, that's all I needed to know right now. I was curious about the Shades and what's going on between the Chromas and the Shades, and why haven't I encountered or heard anything about the Omegas right now, even though you told me that about the beginning." Ernaut replied. "Well, I better get some sleep, so I'm going to bed."

"Night Ernaut. Your journey continues in the morning." Karin replied


	18. Chapter 18: Lost

Ernaut and Isaiah were still traveling northeast at the point. They had little time to plan accordingly towards schedule, because they'd know that the forces of the Nexus would take advantage of whatever they can to stop them. They went through the forests of Evergrove avoiding most of the towns to hopefully avoid tracking Ernaut down. Still though, they knew that there could be more threats out there, whether it be the wildlife, Chromas, or even the military forces at all. He'd still know that everyone in the Nexus is after Ernaut, which to him meant a risk that he was able to undertake for himself for being one of those people that believed in Aruku, the Comet, and the Tear of Heaven. So far, he knew that this all started when the mysterious man came in and told them about everything, people forgot about it until eventually some people regained some interest in it, then the Tear of Heaven came down on Castlemore, Ernaut himself got it and unlocked it into his body, being able to harness full potential of the Tear's powers and abilities far greater than anyone else. He tried to hide these powers because he knew that he'd get in trouble if they knew that he was using its unidentified powers, but it was too late when the Chromas attacked his home and took away his parents, never to be seen again. He still wanted to fulfill Karin's promises, but he had never knew how many obstacles that might be on the way out of the Nexus.

Ernaut was following Isaiah through the forest. The forest had little light to come out of it. The only light possible was the daylight of the sun. Although technically he could be able to make light with the help of Karin, Ernaut wasn't in the mood right now. Everything was fine until eventually, a Chroma got in the way of him and eventually made him lose track of Isaiah. No, it wasn't facing in front of him or appearing out of nowhere, it was zooming across the trees in the forest, facing away from him. Although Ernaut could've just fought the Chroma real easily, he couldn't even react that fast, so that meant that even if he were to get his weapons out, it would've been too late to track that one Chroma. Ernaut knew that there was a threat for him, but what made things worse was that he tried to get Karin for help, but thanks to the Chromas, she was unable to track Isaiah down. Ernaut knew that he was on his own for right now.

"Hello? Isaiah? Anyone?" Ernaut was lost. He didn't know where to go. The last sight he could make out was that he was following him, but the presence of the Chromas disoriented him, but he knew that there were Chromas on the move for him. There was barely any light for Ernaut to look up, because most of the leaves on the trees were blocking out the skies. He was lost in the woods, nowhere where to go. He was sitting down on a stump, surrounded with trees, but everywhere else, there were only two paths. Ernaut didn't know which path would equate to going backwards or the wrong way. He and Isaiah had been staying together with the tent that Karin had prepared, he was following the path this morning and then because of the Chromas, he eventually got lost and disoriented, and because of the Chromas' presence, Karin was unable to track Isaiah due to the cloudiness of her abilities when using long-scope abilities, likely due to the presence of the Chromas.

Ernaut knew that he had to keep moving from the Chromas or any force that was after him. He also knew that Beck was not giving up upon him or the military forces. Apparently there was more; he heard of a crossbowman named Quinn who could also be after him at the point. To him, he didn't think Shion and Wally would be able to follow him at the point, because he knew that they'd need another ship to get from Aurora to Evergrove. To him, that was basically not the point right now. The point was that thanks to a Chroma that intercepted his movement, he had already lost track of Isaiah, who was guiding him to the direction where Hobbs's Summit was. He already knew that it was northeast from them in the beginning, but from his own perspective, he was basically lost in the woods with no direction. While Ernaut could ask Karin about a compass ability if Karin had one, but the presence of the Chromas had been already blocking out the signal. With the presence of the Chromas blocking Karin's signal, Ernaut knew what to do.

"Alright, I think I might have a plan. Something tells me that there are Chromas in this area, and that they are intercepting my signal to find Isaiah and my way to Hobbs's Summit. If I destroy those Chromas, hopefully that will clear up the signal and track Isaiah again." Ernaut said to himself.

Ernaut ran and ran around the forest to look for any traces of the Chromas. Eventually after some time, he saw what could be a group of Chromas; a mix between Chroma Princes and rooks; the lowest rank of the Chromas. He knew that they were the one jamming his signal, so he got ready to fight with his only weapon of choice; Karin's weaponry. While it is possible to defend against a Chroma using one's healthy omens which would technically be the only way without a unlocked Tear, it still felt a bit risky to him and he'd still prefer to use Karin's weapons at all times until he can work something out.

"Alright, this is time for another fight with the Chromas, I think I can handle this right now!" Ernaut said, readying his weapons against the Chromas. He learned how to dodge through the ranged attacks that the Chroma Princes had such as their own magical abilities and ranged strikes. He also learned how to work his way through cramped distances, such as using the trees for his cover from attacks, with Karin alerting him when to attack and when to take cover from their attacks. He'd already fought against the Chromas in the past, but now he's starting to get to the point where he's basically mastering out everything to do on how to destroy the Chromas. To him, he still didn't know how to defend against a Chroma attack without the use of Karin's weaponry. Sure, it does take a healthy omen that one believes it and learning how to avoid nightmares, but no one so far has accomplished that before, or ever right now.

"Alright, this is it! I'm almost done here!" Ernaut said, finishing off the Chromas using his Spirit Fist weapon. First of all, he wanted to use the Spirit Needle weapon to shoot the Chromas that were dodging most of the time, because that was his only ranged weapon of choice right now. He still only had two weapons; the fist and the spear, but when he recalled that dream that happened on the same morning of unlocking the Tear of Heaven, he knew that he still had more weapons to learn, such as the long sword that could cut down his enemies which he hasn't learned yet. Every time Ernaut would defeat a Chroma, all of that energy becomes absorbed into Karin, mostly just to recharge her abilities or being able to learn new abilities that haven't been learnt before. After Ernaut defeated the Chromas, Karin began to speak as she started to feel that the signal for Isaiah was being cleared up at the point.

"Ernaut! The signal is being cleared! I think I know where we are right now. You have been sidetracked into the northern forest. Isaiah's still heading northeast, and I'll guide you, so you know where to go from here." Karin said, upon Ernaut defeating all of the Chromas and eventually regaining the ability to track where Isaiah is right now.

"Alright. Don't worry Isaiah, I am coming for you!" Ernaut said, beginning to run to his destination via the directions that Karin was providing him. He eventually decided to run and run, because he knew that Isaiah could possibility in danger or possibility looking for him after realizing that he had lost track of where exactly he is.

Normally on the journey northeast, Ernaut and Isaiah would've taken a relaxed pace where they would walk instead of just you know run, but as he knew that Isaiah could be in possible danger from either the Chromas or possibly the Nexus forces, Ernaut instead began to run, and he began to talk to Karin for the directions;

"Alright Karin, which path to take? There's two paths, but I don't know where Isaiah went. I need your help." Ernaut said, asking Karin for help upon stopping at the fork in in the road.

"Okay Ernaut, take the right path, because I can sense traces of Isaiah here on the right path. I think Isaiah might be in danger right now, because I just noticed that he stopped." Karin replied.

Taking in what Karin said, Ernaut ran and ran through the right path in the forest with no time to waste. He knew that Isaiah was in trouble, but he didn't know what to expect. He'd hoped that Isaiah wouldn't even tell the Nexus forces about him or gave up the fact that he assisted him at all. As for the Chromas, it was still no frills whatsoever, and they could still possibly target anyone; whether it be the Nexus forces, innocent people, or even himself!

Upon following the path, there he unexpectedly saw the sight that he'd never wanted; the Shadowman with his rapier out brandished towards him. He looked like he holding Isaiah captive alongside several Nexus soldiers in a line across from him at the sides.

"Alright Captain Beck, or should I call you the Shadowman! It's about time you give up Isaiah and let me go on my own quest! If you do not let him go, I will take extreme action against you, and that will be; using my own powers against you." Ernaut said angrily.

"Ernaut! I should've known there would be more people out there supporting you because they knew that you'd be treated very poorly because of what we said about the purple crystal, or should we call that the Tear of Heaven? If it's called the Tear of Heaven, there's no reason it could be from Heaven at all, because it's in the afterlife!" Beck said, holding Isaiah cuffed.

"Beck! He's back for more. Now, I don't think running from him is going to be a good option, I need to think of a plan." Ernaut was considering different options to get away from Beck aside from just running away from him.

"Why not just fight? You sound like you are wanting to fight them off." Karin asked.

"Well, it's about time I consider that idea right now, because I need to defend myself against the forces of the Nexus, I only used these powers to defend myself against the wildlife or the Chromas, but it's gonna be the first time I use these powers against the forces of the Nexus, or their military." Ernaut replied to Karin.

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" Beck said, noticing that Ernaut was talking, but was unable to hear what they were talking about.

"This is Karin, the Spirit of Heaven. She's inside of me, and she's ready to fight you!" Ernaut said.

"Alright Beck. I'm sorry, but you need to let this man go. He needs to go to his own quest to destroy the Comet and destroy all of the Chromas, which will be finding his way east. If you do not let him go, you will face dire consequences." Karin said. "He promised to travel east and hopefully do the following things; redeem Aruku, my previous owner who bowed down to the Call of the Comet, end the Epoch of the Comet, and destroy all of the Chromas. That is his biggest promise, I know you'll never believe in us because you don't sound like you even care about these subjects. All of these Chromas, they're NOT from him, they are from the Comet, which as you know, they were the successors of the Shades Aruku had fought against, but thanks to Aruku, they became reborn as Chromas, where they adapt light instead of night, but form the same way as the Shades. So, would you please? Let him go towards his own quest to destroy the Comet? It would certainly mean a lot of him, and yes. I am talking to you out loud." Karin said towards Beck hoping to get at least some sort of a serious reaction that wasn't just something pointing fun off, but;

"Hahaha! This thing talks? Hahaha!" Beck laughed at the reaction of the Tear of Heaven talking. Soon after, all of the other soldiers started laughing. "But anyways: Guards! Take away Isaiah, and make sure to take down Ernaut and his mysterious weapons!" Beck called for the army that would take down Ernaut and arrest Isaiah.

Several military guards eventually came in, arrested Isaiah and then took him away. After that sight, Ernaut had never seen or heard from Isaiah ever again, and he was his only comrade for along the trip to Evergrove that had shown at least some respect to him, even for a person who had wanted to speak out for the Tear of Heaven, Karin, and Aruku.

"Now it's time for you Ernaut! It's time that your fake quest ends here!" Beck said, pointing his rapier at Ernaut. Beck felt like he was ready to take down Ernaut for real.

"What fake quest? Oh, you mean that one quest where I get to eastern Teya, defeat the Chromas, destroy the Comet and redeem Aruku. Keep in mind, this is what the Tear of Heaven wants, and I think this might be too convoluted for you to understand?"

"Too convoluted? What do you mean too convoluted? This isn't too convoluted for us to understand, it's just that you keep on making up things that no one else can believe in because we simply can't replicate it for ourselves or that the subject itself has no impact on us? These topics have no impact on us whatsoever, so they're better off forgotten! Get over it and give up the Tear of Heaven if you want to be spared."

"The only way I'll give up the Tear of Heaven is if you kill me!" Ernaut said, readying his own weapons again to get ready for defend them. He knew this was going to be his first time fighting against the Nexus military, but he didn't want to kill them entirely. Instead, he's going to be defensive in a certain way that he refused to disclose to them, so he decided to charge up Karin's weapons for a secret plan.

"Have it your way then." Beck said, readying his weapon and then all of the soldiers planned on getting Ernaut. They were all ready to fight Ernaut, but Ernaut never gave up; because he knew that he needed to show them a few miracles from Karin. In fact, this was something that he had never ever done before; learning how to actually attack a Nexus soldier. In the past, he refused to even attack anyone from the Nexus because he knew that it'll ruin his chances of possibly coming back to the Nexus when his mission to end the Epoch of the Comet is complete, but he also knew that there could be far better possibilities of ending the Epoch of the Comet and destroying all of the Chromas; whether it be changing the world forever or eventually choosing to make his stay to wherever he want. To Ernaut, Castlemore still felt like his number one home, but he knew that it was time to pull the shots towards his enemies, not the Chromas, but the military.

"Alright Beck, watch this. This is going to be far beyond anything you've seen!" Ernaut said, channeling Karin to summon a magical swarm of Spirit Needles to take down Beck and his army of soldiers that are after him. The swarm of needles had hit the army of the soldiers, injuring him, but instead of hitting Beck, one of the needles hit his weapon of choice; the glowstone rapier that illuminates the night for him. Apparently that's what he was using to be able to see in the nighttime where he works most effectively. Taking advantage of the swarm, Ernaut kept on running and running towards the direction where Hobbs's Summit was, eventually outrunning Beck and his army.

"No! My legendary rapier! It's destroyed!" Beck started to feel upset and felt more like a failure upon seeing that his prized glowstone rapier, was destroyed by Ernaut's weaponry; the Spirit of Heaven, or simply Karin.

"Beck, are you going to be feeling down about things or trying to learn from them?" One of the soldiers said, getting up after the Spirit Needle swarm that attacked all of the units that were after Ernaut. In fact, the swarm that Karin sent out to defend Ernaut hit all of them and injured some of them, but instead of injuring Beck, the needle instead hit his glowstone rapier, shattering the blade to pieces.

"No! This will not be the end of me!" I'll be back, when I get Quinn to tag along with me to Hobbs's Summit and eventually I'll find myself a new sword or rapier to take down Ernaut. Now, I think we've learned something about this Ernaut. He's also capable of defending himself with these powers, and he's also capable of attacking us with these powers and even destroying our weapons against them. We need to step up our game against him if we want to protect the Nexus. Keep in mind, this is NOT the only weapon that he has that can protect himself; this weird magic swarm thingamajig; he's also got these magical fists and this jousting spear alongside with him. I don't know if he's got more weapons out there or any other hidden powers, but we need to be alert." Beck said, filling up with determination with himself to catch up Ernaut.

Ernaut had already gotten away from Beck and had been getting closer and closer to Hobbs's Summit. He eventually thought what happened earlier, how he managed to stand up for himself and defend himself against the guards and even Beck himself. He wondered why he couldn't have done that back in Castlemore when the mob was after him, and why he's deciding to fight back right now. He's back to being alone now, still running from any forces and all of the dangers that face him. Karin had always wondered why he chose to defend himself against the guards and Captain Beck instead of just directly attacking them, which is question that will remain in Karin's curiosity forever; until after night fell and Ernaut sleeping in his tent, Karin decided to ask him;

"So Ernaut, I have a question which might seem a little petty to you; why do you choose to injure the soldiers instead of you know, killing them directly. You could've been a lot safer if you chose to just kill them, but no, you chose to just injure them and break their weapons. As you know, injuring them is not going to halt them entirely, but killing them will. Why is that, I'm just a little curious on what's with the decisions you are taking." Karin asked, feeling as if Ernaut should've taken that other decision and not the other one for better results.

"Well as you know, I'm still planning on getting back to this place after I fulfill my promise to you; destroying the Comet and all of the Chromas. I still don't want to kill anyone from the Nexus because that would still ruin my chances of coming back to this place, because I still want to redeem them and be able to return, because if I were to actually murder them, it'll ruin my chances of being able to come back redeemed to them. Unless if it's a possibility to change everyone, I'm not affording to kill anyone from the Nexus, only injuring them and breaking their weapons, because as you know, I'm the type of guy who doesn't like killing my own people, or the people from my kingdom, because it's not good to me." Ernaut replied.

"Well I understand. Eventually, you're gonna face some more enemies, and eventually you will get to a point where you must learn how to kill for your own safety. You've killed wildlife, vanquished Chromas, and so far killed zero soldiers or any human beings so far. I think eventually you need to learn how to defend yourself more seriously from now on. That's something that you have to ask yourself; should you learn how to spare others or kill others? That's the question you need to ask yourself if you want to feel safe." Karin said.

"I'm getting tired right now, but as you know, I'll think about it and start determining if I want to kill Beck and the military or not, because I have a goal that you might be already petty of; heading back to my real home after I fulfill your promise to end the Epoch of the Comet."

"You need to think about that, because I think you may be getting to a point where you eventually become unable to return to your real home. Your home is destroyed, and you have nowhere to stay in the Nexus. You are currently the biggest fugitive right now, and you need to escape from the Nexus and find a way east. One of the things that you need to consider is what you shouldn't do to fulfill your goals and what you NEED to do to actually fulfill that goal, because if you want to come back to the Nexus, you will need some way to redeem yourself after you complete my promise." Karin said.

After Karin's words, Ernaut didn't really say anything back to her, and eventually fell asleep in his tent. He started thinking of what else to eventually learn from the Tear of Heaven, because he's getting to the point where he eventually needs to learn new abilities from the Tear of Heaven because he felt like the two weapons he has aren't just enough.


	19. Chapter 19: Frontier

It has been a day since Ernaut had lost Isaiah, who was a comrade who decided to tag-along because he felt that Ernaut was being treated too harshly and that he was able to understand his motivation and the information from the Tear of Heaven that hardly anyone else cared in. Yesterday, Ernaut did something that he'd felt was more defensive than anything else that he'd done before; attacking the Nexus forces using his own weaponry. He still refused to kill any Nexus troops, but he felt like that he could afford to defend himself using his own weaponry, only to blow their weapons off and injure them to keep them from coming after him. As he recalled, he destroyed Beck's rapier using his Spirit Needle and attacked the soldiers, and then took advantage of the situation to move forward, which was something that he had so far never done before. He felt like he already had the confidence to start actually defending from himself against attacks from the military forces, but he was still reluctant to kill them, because he still felt like that there could still be a chance to get back home after fulfilling Karin's promise.

Ernaut was walking through the clear forest. It wasn't as darker as the forests Ernaut was lost in yesterday. Ernaut could still see the light above the trees and the sunshine brimming in the area, as today wasn't a very cloudy day in the Nexus. Yesterday was a very cloudy day in the Nexus which meant that the sun was mostly blocked and the dense forests get very dark, and that's ignoring the fact that during nighttime, the only light to ever come out would be the glowstone lamps in the streets or the stars and the moon out in the clear skies, which can't be seen on cloudy days.

Ernaut eventually ran into a dead end; a gigantic rock blocking the path. It was too heavy for Ernaut to lift, or even anyone pretty much. Ernaut could've just went around it, but it was a tunnel it was blocking and he didn't know where it could lead because all the other paths seem to go over it. He still had to figure out something from Karin, and he still realized that he was already thinking of potentially a new ability that he hasn't learned yet.

"I think I'm going to need a new tool of choice to destroy that rock. It's too heavy to lift, and I'm not going around it because I think this could be a tunnel to my destination." Ernaut said. "I'm also thinking of something like a new tool to get rid of this rock, something strong and penetrable. I need to be able to tackle this rock to pieces so I can continue on."

"It looks like you need a good charging weapon to destroy that. Ah yes! Now it's time for the Spirit Spear! Now imagine yourself as if you were to joust yourself towards your enemy…" Karin asked, getting ready to bless Ernaut with a new weapon; the Spirit Spear.

After Ernaut got his Spirit Spear ability unlocked, he then got ready to use the ability which represented a jousting lance that Ernaut would aim in front of him. Ernaut charged up a spear that destroyed the rock and made him on a dash that was really fast for him. He was able to steer, but the steering wasn't that great for him, especially for a jousting spear that Karin cast for him, which he is in fact using for the first time. After destroying the rock, Ernaut was inside the tunnel. The tunnel looked like it was a mix between stone walls with a bit of a wood interior inside with glowstone lamps inside of it, likely to provide light during nighttime.

"Careful Ernaut, look where you're going!" Karin tried to warn Ernaut about crashing, but he ended up impaling the tree located outside the tunnel while Ernaut was trying to slow down.

"Ow…I'm okay though." Ernaut claimed, upon being knocked back from impaling the spear. He suffered no injuries whatsoever except for some minor head pain that would usually fade out after a few minutes.

"I think you should need a little more practice with that. Keep in mind the more you charge, the more strength you gain, and the more energy I consume. This is not an easy weapon for use, and it's meant for specific situations like getting through blocked walls or any moments that require speed, such as when the doors close or something like that. This is a jousting weapon. It's not a weapon where you simply can just use it just like your Spirit Fists, it's a charge weapon for specific purposes." Karin replied.

"I understand. There's still I think one more weapon for me to learn that I at least know off, and that is that longsword weapon that I saw in my dream. I don't know how to even earn it, but I do remember what it does; it's a long whip sword that slashes your way through enemies, but it is much slower than my fists." Ernaut said.

"Well, you're not getting that ability anytime soon for the time being. You need to further your bond with me if you want to be able to master out everything. What you saw in that dream, was actually a preview of what I was capable off, and also one last thing; these powers aren't for free, you know. They are simply earned for by unlocking the Tear of Heaven and progressing through my abilities by fighting the Chromas and learning various tasks, you name it." Karin explained.

Ernaut continued to walk down the path. He eventually had enough energy to go do some running, so he charged up the Spirit Spear to do some practicing. He went for a small charge of the Spirit Spear to get him on the run, and eventually he went on a little sprint right now thanks to the Spirit Spear. He was running down the footpath that according to the compass was the direction to Hobbs's Summit.

Ernaut stopped on what could be a sight, Ernaut saw a fenced area with several buildings inside that looked like it could be a hideout or a fortress. Looking over the brick fence, Ernaut knew it was bad news for him and something that he would have to fight through; this was one of the soldiers' garrisons across the Nexus, where they assemble soldiers to call for and fight across the area. He also saw that Captain Beck was there as well, likely hoping for him over there. He was expecting another fight on the way there as well, so Ernaut had a plan, he'll dash into the main building, start an ambush, and fight his way out.

First, Ernaut decided to use the Spirit Spear to dash into the main building of the garrison. The walls of the building crashed open and eventually alerted all of the soldiers and even Beck. All of the soldiers surrounded Ernaut and eventually Beck jumped in. Everyone was armed with various weapons; swords or even bows, but Beck wanted to say something before attacking.

"Everyone, keep your weapons down. We need to not surround him." Beck warned, trying to get the soldiers from surrounding Ernaut. However, none of the soldiers were listening to him, likely too focused on taking down Ernaut and getting the big reward.

"Why not? He's the most wanted criminal that we need to stop! He attacked this garrison first!" One of the soldiers asked back.

"Well, last time I tried to get him cornered, he eventually charged up one of his magical weapons against us and injured most of us at the time and broke my weapon, and I think he's doing that right now!" Beck said.

"Umm, Beck, what's he doing?" Another soldier asked, pointing at Ernaut's clenched fists that sound like he's charging up another one of his weapons. Ernaut was already thinking of a plan to fight back and move on from the garrison, but this time, he wasn't going to charge up the Spirit Needle again, but his other two weapons instead.

"He's charging up his weapons! You need to get out of the way!" Beck warned, trying to get the soldiers away from the garrison to avoid Ernaut's attacks, but they were given little time because in as quickly as 20 seconds, Ernaut charged up the Spirit Spear and zoomed towards one of the corners of the brick fence, knocking out any guards in his way and wrecking the brick fence. Then, Ernaut zoomed back into the other corner of the fence, getting ready to charge up his other weapon, the Spirit Fist. He performed a double lariat using the Spirit Fist, spinning around and then hitting anything in sight; buildings, any guards that were going after him or trying to run away from him, and even Beck as well. Of course, this was the only way to fight off the guards and he's basically at this point destroyed most of the garrison right now to ruins.

After all of the carnage caused by Karin's weaponry, Ernaut has injured 90% of the garrison's guards, including Captain Beck. The garrison had been entirely destroyed to ruins, but some of the guards managed to escape. By the looks of the damages, it would've looked like to take weeks to even repair and restore, even with a group of strong construction workers! He knew that he had to get out of here before Beck can catch up, so he dashed with the Spirit Spear and eventually got out of the garrison by heading the path behind the garrison which was where to continue his directions.

"What a cool spear he had… I've never seen such weapons like that." One of the soldiers commented upon seeing Ernaut dash with the Spirit Spear ability. "How do you think he manages to get these weapons and tools on his side, anyway?"

"Well, we're not giving up right now. We're having Quinn take care of him, I'll rush to Hobbs's Summit and get Quinn on the move. She's ranged, so she can easily take down Ernaut easily as we don't need to rely on swords and stuff. I was guessing that this guy had a jousting spear, and what do you know? I was right all along." Beck said.

"You expect us to believe his motivation?" Another soldier said. "You know, that one motivation with that strange crystal which we call the Tear of Heaven whatever, which is still something we don't even care about or even know about because it didn't originate here in the Nexus but instead Otherland or whatever you call it?"

"Well, he's got the most convoluted motivation yet, and that is find his way east to destroy the Comet, and the Chromas. He also supports this one myth called the Comet Caller, which as you know is claimed that there was a woman from the east named Aruku, who was fighting through what was called the Epoch of the Comet, and then she obtained some sort of blessing to the Comet thanks to this one message called the Call of the Comet which I don't know about and don't care about, thank you very much. Then, she became known as the Comet Caller, and then there was this one mysterious man who tried to talk to us about all of that stuff, but we refused to believe in it, because we don't have evidence to even support it, or I suppose you could just say the Chromas, but they show up whenever they want to and we mostly blame it on Ernaut, because he's the one who got the Tear of Heaven inside of him with all of these mysterious powers that we cannot find."

"So, all of this was started by a mysterious man who was talking about Aruku, we called her the Comet Caller and refused to believe in her, until something, something… Oh! How did this Tear of Heaven get here right away and find its way to Ernaut?" the soldier asked back.

"Apparently here's how it all began. There were only a few people caring about Aruku and the Comet, such as Ernaut and Janice. Then, Ernaut began to start developing some curiosity and interest over Aruku from Janice, and after that, the Tear of Heaven came out from the sky, and guess who went in there and grabbed it? Ernaut himself. He, hid it in his backpack and then unlocked it into his body, meaning the original Tear of Heaven is just a shell right now, meaning if he dies, the Spirit of Heaven or Karin, whatever you want to call it, is released back into the Tear. Then, he was already doing well hiding the Tear of Heaven from anyone else, until eventually, the Chromas came and attacked his home, killing both of his parents. He killed all of the Chromas, but Wally took him into custody. He then ran off and ran off hiding out with anyone who supported him and even cared about Aruku. Reportedly, he escaped in that ship that was heading to Evergrove, but Wally already delivered us news about it. All of these was recorded in Nexus newspapers about what happened. If it weren't for Shion and Wally telling me about Ernaut heading down to Evergrove, I wouldn't have known about him. Here's the deal, we're gonna likely form a team, called Wally's Warriors, and that team will consist of Wally the leader, Shion the hunter, myself as the Captain, and Quinn the Daybreaker, and that team's goal is to take care of Ernaut once and for all!" Beck said.

"Great idea. Let's contact Wally and get this assembled!" The soldiers and Beck were tired for a bit from the carnage, so they figured to rebuild for a bit to find somewhere to rest.

Ernaut ran and ran down the path towards the route to Hobbs's Summit. He knew he was getting closer and closer, until he was getting to the point where night was falling. He was tired from all of the fighting at the garrison and he wanted to setup a tent with Karin. Before Ernaut could go to sleep in his tent, Karin wanted to talk to him again;

"Ernaut, I see that you're starting to learn how to actually fight against the Nexus military. Are you still catering to get back to your original home after you finish your quest? Because it seems like you're straying away from it." Karin asked. "I believe that you originally didn't want to harm the Nexus's soldiers, but then I wanted you to be safe, and then you eventually started to fight them."

"Well, it's still my dream right now, because in my heart I still believe that my homeland cannot be replaced for the time being, even after I make the biggest changes from fulfilling your promise, Karin. It's just that some things can be changed and some things cannot be changed, so keep that in mind as well, like my dream to get back home after I finish it, in my heart right now cannot be changed because I believe so far, my plan is to end the Epoch of the Comet, and then get back home hopefully with my house completely restored." Ernaut replied.

"You're going to have to think about that dream, especially on whether or not you can change everything after you finish the Epoch of the Comet, because that dream sounds completely impossible right now, especially when you're already fighting against the military right now."

"It's basically self-defense right now, and changing the Nexus would be one of the wishes I'm going to make right when I finally end the Epoch of the Comet and defeat whoever or whatever is behind all of this." Ernaut replied.

"As I'm only the Spirit of Heaven, or should I say the Goddess of Wisdom, which of right now is my true alias. I'm going to explain your real mission right now because I think this might be a good time right now to explain it; you have to find all 4 Tears right now before you can make your wishes to change the world forever. You have myself, and there's three others out there like me, but they are all represented in different colors and have different Gods representing them. I can't tell you where they are and what exactly they do right now, because that's something you're going to have to figure out as your journey progresses."

"Now I understand what my true objective is right now when I get over there to the eastern lands of Teya where the Comet is. I've got so many wishes right now for my life after solving the Epoch of the Comet and defeating all of the Chromas that I can't explain right now, but my biggest wish right now is to get back home to the Kingdom of Nexus with everyone redeemed, because it would mean a lot to me, especially on finding myself a home after my journey."

"That's still going to be something to think about and whether or not everything is possible. Sure, you can change something after ending the Epoch of the Comet, but are you really sure that you want to change everything? Some things are meant to be changed, and some things are not meant to change. Eventually on the quest against the Comet in the eastern lands, I think you might eventually come across some comrades that will actually stay with you and it'd might be wise to even stay with them if they get close to you."

"I've had three comrades so far, and none of them have managed to last that long. I think I might be able to redeem Aruku if I get the chance, and the mysterious man might make a return, because I'm pretty sure that the mysterious man, especially with the armor is much stronger than me. There's also Gabriella, the queen of the Haven Tribe, but I don't know where she is right now, but that's pretty much it. Gabriella I might be able to work with her real easily, because I think right now she has a similar goal; defeating the Chromas and destroying the Comet." Ernaut replied back before yawning. He looked like he was getting tired from Karin's conversations.

"Ernaut, should I end this conversation here? You look like you're getting tired." Karin asked back, softly and quietly, upon seeing and hearing Ernaut yawning, as if he was getting tired as well.

"Yes, I need to get some sleep for tomorrow so I can continue my journey to Hobbs's Summit to find the portal east, because that's the only place right now that can take me east." Ernaut said, before going to sleep in the tent that Karin provided for him.

"Night Ernaut. Remember, you will not be alone on your quest to destroy the Comet…" Karin said after Ernaut went to sleep. She wanted to wish Ernaut that he will not be the only one with the same motivation when he finally gets out of the Nexus and finds his way to the Comet.


	20. Chapter 20: Rock Bottom

Over through the night, there was a major earthquake in the area where Ernaut was sleeping. It was at midnight, or the time where most people would be off to bed at the time. The earthquake eventually knocked Ernaut's tent down a hill, but Karin's powers were enough to break the fall and keep Ernaut safe from any injuries from the fall, but there were plenty of rocks and branches falling as well. After some time, Ernaut was eventually caved in and pushed out of route.

Ernaut woke up, only to realize that he had been caved in on. He was still trying to hide from anyone trying to kill him to get that salary. Was Beck still after him, or even Shion if he had already got from Aurora to Evergrove? He didn't even know where he was right now and whether or not he's any closer or farther to Hobbs's Summit.

"Karin? Where are we? What just happened? Ernaut said, trying to ask what happened while the tent fell, as the protection of Karin was enough to prevent Ernaut from suffering injuries during the earthquake.

"Apparently, there was an earthquake overnight, and what happened is that you were sleeping, and eventually the earthquakes started. It was enough to cause the tent to fall down a cliff, and then I used up some of my energy to keep you safe, and then there were falling rocks and branches right now. Where are we right now? We're at the bottom of a cliff cavern, not too far from where you were sleeping right now. We just need to climb back up and get back to where we were." Karin replied.

"Alright. I think that might be easy enough. We're caved in right now, so I can clear some of this up using your powers."

"No, I don't want to right now. Apparently my powers are nearly depleted right now. You were using me a lot yesterday and these powers are not unlimited. I'll only let you use the Spirit Fists and the Needles a few times, but I'm not gonna let you use the Spirit Spear right now, because it costs a lot more energy. You have to fight more Chromas for me to recharge, because that's how we, the Tears gain energy. Furthering your bond was how I eventually got around to giving you more abilities and tools of the trade, eventually from what you saw in that dream. If there's anything you need to do, it's to hunt the Chromas here and then recharge me while climbing back up and getting back on track." Karin said.

"Looks like I'm on my own right now." Ernaut said, trying to navigate through the debris and ruins from the earthquake. He apparently is behind a blockade of debris, which meant that the other side of the rock bottom area was the only area to explore for right now. Because Karin was depleted, Ernaut will only use her to fight off Chromas to recharge her, which meant Ernaut had a plan; he'll find some Chromas to hunt in the area and then recharge her to break open the blockade.

First off, Ernaut would look around the area for possibly where to go and what to find from the area. Across the area, there were rocks around the area and there was barely anything Ernaut could even climb on, and he wasn't in the mood for using Karin to climb himself back up right now, because this was a situation where hunting down a Chroma was his only option, but he needed to think of where to go and where to even find one. Speaking of where to go, he'd also need to look deeper as well, such as small areas where Ernaut would be able to crawl under and eventually find more areas to go, so he decided to look into the cavern areas as well and whatever he could find that possibly could lead him deeper.

Upon looking around in the area, Ernaut eventually saw where he needed to go, one small cavern that Ernaut could easily crawl through, so he crawled through the small cavern and eventually after getting through on the other side, he saw several Chromas to fight. Ernaut knew that this was his chance to be able to get out of there and be able to recharge Karin, so upon seeing the group of Chromas, Ernaut unleashed the Spirit Fists to defeat the Chromas with ease, because he knew that it was getting quite easy for him due to the fact that he was able to fight them off several times. After defeating all of the Chromas, Karin eventually recharged and was able to be used again.

"Ernaut! I am recharged right now. You can go ahead and clear the blockade right now, and that blockade looks to be your only way out!" Karin said, upon Ernaut defeating all of the Chromas in the area.

"Alright. Glad to hear that, so I'm going to be back to the blockade so I can break through it with my Spirit Spear, because that's my only tool that can pierce through the blockade." Ernaut replied, getting ready to head back to the area where Ernaut fell.

Upon heading back to the area where the blockade was, Ernaut got ready to charge up the Spirit Spear, and then shortly afterward, Ernaut broke through the blockade using the Spirit Spear's piercing abilities, and all of the rocks and debris started to come loose and fly around all over the area. From the other side of the area, the area looked to be going up and up, Ernaut knew that this was going to be his only way to escape, but it looked like it was going to be easy until eventually more Chromas appeared. Ernaut knew what to do from here, he would use the Spirit Spear to try and take down the Chromas by piercing through them, which would then recharge Karin more and more.

The first time using the Spirit Spear against the Chromas, the first three Chromas that Ernaut charged up against went very well as they were vanquished real quickly, but on the next wave that Ernaut tried it on, they learned how to dodge the Spirit Spear, as if they were learning how to adapt to his weapons and how to handle him. Ernaut stopped after his Spirit Spear missed the Chromas.

"Alright Ernaut, they started to learn how to adapt to my weaponry. This Spirit Spear isn't going to cut it for fast enemies, it's only for heavier and slower enemies because the charge-up dash isn't that great and accurate." Ernaut said to himself, trying to think on what to do for the next wave of Chromas that were blocking his path.

"Ernaut! I believe for this wave, you need to use the Spirit Needle, because this wave is apparently dodgy against your weapons. The Spirit Needle, I recommend this weapon for ranged situations and fast enemies, because the homing capabilities never disappoint." Karin said, recommending the weapon that Ernaut should use against the second wave of Chromas.

"Alright Karin, time to unleash the Spirit Needle upon the Chromas!" Ernaut said, readying the Spirit Needle to take down the Chromas. Upon charging up a wave of Spirit Needles, 4 per Chroma, they all were aimed at the Chromas and eventually after each needle hitting them, they are were disintegrated. Disintegration was the only possible way the Chromas could die from Ernaut's weapons, or simply vanquishing by Karin's choice of words.

After vanquishing the second wave of Chromas, Ernaut eventually ran up and up the area that was apparently close to the area where the earthquake happened, but before Ernaut could continue on, a third wave of Chromas appeared before him. There were three Chroma Princes, which looked like they could use both melee and ranged. Ernaut tried to use the Spirit Needle to take them down, but then the Chroma Princes later adapted to that by also using ranged capabilities, which meant that the Spirit Fists were his only option to take down the Chromas, but Ernaut still had to think about what to do. After thinking about what happened with yesterday and how he managed to charge up his abilities against Beck and the armies, he eventually decided to charge up the Spirit Fists again, performing a double lariat to take down the Chroma Princes with ease. He moved towards the Chroma Princes, hitting them with the Spirit Fists several times each until each one of them was vanquished. Ernaut felt like he was getting victorious over the battles of the Chromas, especially with the amount of energy Karin is regaining.

"Ernaut! I'm full right now, and you've fought enough Chromas right now to completely charge me up! You've been doing great against the Chromas!" Karin said, upon Ernaut clearing the third wave of Chromas on his way back up.

"No need to thank me, thank your powers for being able to fight against the Chromas, because that's so far how I'm fighting the Chromas. I fight more Chromas and further my bond with you, the more abilities I can find. Because I was able to fight a lot more Chromas today, I was not only able to charge up for a bit, but charge you up entirely from the tents and whatever protection you were providing me for a bit, but I'm getting tired from all of the action that has been going on, especially with the amount of Chromas I was fighting today.

"So, what can I at least do for you now that we've defeated enough Chromas to charge me up completely while climbing back up from the ground? Oh, I just now realized that right now you were going back up to get back on track to Hobbs's Summit. You are only somewhere a little bit farther from yesterday, so you were delayed a little bit due to the earthquake, but that's okay, there's no rush to get to whatever you need, but you'll eventually need to learn how to plan things, especially when your life revolves around others like you and learning how to adapt to new lands and tribes that are in the eastern land of Teya, because as you know, it's unlikely that you'll be able to solve the Epoch of the Comet alone." Karin said, explaining where Ernaut is right now and then suggesting a possible idea for Ernaut's journey.

"I understand that I need to learn how to plan things and that not everything that I plan is possible, I get that, but as you know, I've never been to the eastern lands of Teya, and there will be a lot more things that I will have to find out for myself when I get there." Ernaut replied. "I will need a guide or something to be able to learn how to adapt to the tribes of the eastern lands and where the Comet is, because these tribes are going to be much more different from living in the Nexus, because they are notably more underdeveloped in terms of advancements in comparison to us.

"Do you remember the paintings you saw back at Janice's house, and that scroll called Grace of Gabriella? The painting, Fall of Gabriella, I can surely tell you that its only art and that it depicts what the artist wants. Grace of Gabriella sounds like it could be a poem that's trying to present the legacy and success of Gabriella, and her Haven Tribe. I have an idea for you when you get over to the eastern lands of Teya, find Gabriella and her Haven Tribe, and then ask her for help. You're going to need a formidable comrade if you're going to destroy the Comet and the Chromas, because as you know, when you get to the eastern lands of Teya, you're going to have to find yourself a comrade to keep yourself company and be able to be guided through living in the tribes, because as you know; I can't keep providing you tents forever because eventually you're going to have to recharge me from the Chromas that you fight, and I'm recommending finding Gabriella as your first stop because she sounds like a formidable comrade that might be willing to fight the Chromas. If she and the Haven Tribe is capable of believing in healthy omens and what is right for the people, she might be able to fight against the Chromas." Karin suggested.

"Gabriella? I'm thinking towards Aruku. Eventually I'll come across the mysterious man again, and he might think about going towards Aruku first to try and redeem her, but it's not going to be easy. I'll eventually learn how to try and get her to believe in healthy omens, and being able to resist the Chromas and learn the teachings of Gabriella. I think Aruku and Gabriella might have a rivalry with each other, given how I read from the scrolls and archives that Aruku and the Hawk Tribe started to decline in terms of history in favor of another tribe, which was none other than Gabriella and the Haven Tribe, which was represented as the most successful tribe in the eastern lands of Teya, due to its caring queen and being able to provide shelter against the Chromas that were growing in the area. I've also read that various tribes were wiped out by the Chromas due to their inability to handle them, such as obviously not having healthy omens or good dreams." Ernaut replied, trying to think of what to do upon entering the eastern lands.

"How are you going to get there? Something about a ship in Hobbs's Summit and a portal? I'm trying to think back on what you were talking about, and whether or not that's something possible." Karin asked back on Ernaut's plans.

"I'm going to find a ship at Hobbs's Summit that I can fight my way to, then I'll take that ship east to find an island with a portal which as you know, that island is going to be east of Evergrove, and then eventually I'll solve the puzzles of the portal and then find my way east, and I'll also make sure that no Nexus soldier chases after me during this situation. If there's anyone else after me, I'll make sure to fight them off." Ernaut replied.

"I understand. I can go for now in case you need to keep on going right now to Hobbs's Summit, because I feel like that I'm distracting you from progressing towards Hobbs's Summit, because you're just standing there right now." Karin said, noticing that all along in the conversation Ernaut was just standing there, not walking or continuing towards Hobbs's Summit.

"You can go now, I'll be on my way to Hobbs's Summit right now." Ernaut said, snapping Karin into stasis and then continuing the route to Hobbs's Summit. Over through the hours of walking, night fell again in Evergrove. Ernaut was getting closer and closer to Hobbs's Summit, and that he'll finish up the travel tomorrow. Because Ernaut was getting tired as indicated by the yawn, Karin provided him another tent for Ernaut to sleep in. This tent all along, it was summoned by Karin and was indicated with a purple glow for light, and that because this tent was part of Karin's magic, it would be dispelled every morning after Ernaut gets up. Before Ernaut could go to sleep, he started to think about all of the possible outcomes and what could go on at Hobbs's Summit, such as Quinn going after him because during the journey through Evergrove, he had never witnessed Quinn in action right now, but he so far only seen Beck. He hadn't seen Shion and Wally head on down to Evergrove. He's also thinking of what to do in case there was no ship at the docks, and whether or not he should end up following Karin's plans or Ernaut's plans in case of a worst case scenario.

"Night Ernaut. We'll make it to Hobbs's Summit tomorrow. Be sure to figure out what to do tomorrow!" Karin said, wishing Ernaut a good night before he closed his eyes. Over through the night during his sleep, Karin wanted to think about all of the possibilities and opportunities to seek upon the eastern lands, whether it be working with Gabriella, redeeming Aruku, or any other possibilities that she hadn't talked to Ernaut about. So far, adjusting to islands in the eastern lands of Teya wasn't going to be easy. He knew that the people over at the eastern lands would be much more underdeveloped than the Kingdom of the Nexus, but what Ernaut didn't know that Karin was willing to tell him at one point was that not everyone would support him due to his more advanced appearance and that he'd need a ship to be able to travel through the eastern lands. Karin could learn how to provide a ship for Ernaut, but she'd need to memorize a design for Ernaut to be able to build him one that summons and dispels, kind of like the tents that Karin provides.


	21. Chapter 21: Dark Hunts

Over through the night and what happened yesterday, Ernaut was getting quite tired of being stuck in a rock and a hard place. He had already managed to get through the obstacles while on his way to Hobbs's Summit, one of the towns in Evergrove that Isaiah told him to find a dock that could take him to the island where the Gems of Power were to be able to find a portal there that could take him east, but as Ernaut knew, getting through the town wasn't easy, because he at the point had been already proclaimed the number one criminal across Nexus, and has been marked "wanted" across all around the Nexus, recalling the posters that Janice had shown him before he went on the run out of Castlemore.

He had thought about how it all began, his house being destroyed by the Chromas, the wanted posters that came in, and then the run out of Castlemore, Genevie being killed by an unknown entity. He didn't see or know who killed Genevie with the arrows. He didn't think it was Quinn because she would've still been at Evergrove at the point, he thought it could be either Shion or possibly another Nexus soldier, because Shion was not only capable of swordsmanship, but also the bow and arrow as well. He thought of the ship he snuck onto at Evergrove. At first, he didn't even know that he was going in the right direction, until he eventually learned that there was an island that was east of Evergrove that had a portal that could take him to the eastern lands of Teya where the Comet was. That was of course, why Ernaut was going to Hobbs's Summit, to find the island that could take him east.

Ernaut was getting closer and closer to Hobbs's Summit, and he felt finally to his destination when he saw the town entrance of Hobbs's Summit, with the sign next to it saying exactly where he was, but he already felt like he was getting into another battle when he saw the woman with the two crossbows. To him, she looked like to be another one of those major forces against him aside from the regular soldiers of the Nexus. Ernaut stopped when the woman started to talk to him first;

"Order from the Daybreaker. You're not allowed here." the woman with the two crossbows said, upon Ernaut's entry to Hobbs's Summit, the town as the sign had addressed. At this point, Ernaut felt like fighting her again and trying to get through Hobbs's Summit, but he wanted to wait and see what Quinn was capable of.

"Who are you? I've never seen you before… wait a second. You must be Quinn, the Daybreaker with the two crossbows!" Ernaut said. "Also, I'm trying to leave the Nexus as soon as possible because you guys are treating me like a witchcraft man because of some higher powered artifact!"

"Yes, that is right, I am Quinn, the Daybreaker of the Nexus! I specialize in crossbows and the ability to make swift strikes and create all sorts of arrow coatings. But that's not important. You're still wanted dead in the Nexus, and you're still running away, so time to die!" Quinn introduced herself before firing her crossbows towards him.

In response to Quinn's crossbow strikes, Ernaut did dodge after dodge between the arrows, and he knew he had to keep on going to continue his mission. He was running through Hobbs's Summit to stop Quinn from firing, because she knew that she could end up shooting at innocent people instead of Ernaut, so Quinn sheathed both of her crossbows and then chased after him across the streets.

"Witch Runner! Witch Runner!" One of the townsfolk said, pointing out where Ernaut was running. Having heard the words of the townsfolk, Quinn decided to take the name calling of "Witch Runner" and eventually decided to call him out;

"Alright Witch Runner! Your time is up!" Quinn said, upon Ernaut running at a dead end. However, Ernaut still wouldn't give up. He then casted the Spirit Spear, which let him joust through the brick fences of Hobbs's Summit and manage to get away.

"Ernaut! Ernaut! This is your chance to fight back! Use my powers and I'll be able to defend you from Quinn or whatever comes after you!" Karin exclaimed, trying to get Ernaut to fight back.

"Okay, this is my only shot right now, I need to fire two Spirit Needles towards Quinn's crossbows so I can be really safe right now. I need to find a ship here, take it, and find my way east right now." Ernaut replied, readying his weapons to try and stop Quinn from chasing him. First, he cast the Spirit Needles toward Quinn, but then…

"Hahaha! Magic missiles? I should be able to dodge this!" Quinn said towards the two Spirit Needles that were going after him. Standing still, Quinn did a side-flip, diverting the Spirit Needles and then disintegrating them due to their limited range. After the dodge, Quinn kept on chasing Ernaut through Hobbs's Summit.

"She dodged my Spirit weaponry. No human has ever done that before." Ernaut said, being surprised on Quinn successfully dodging his attacks. He kept on running and running until he eventually got to another dead end. Apparently, there were no ships at the port of Hobbs's Summit, meaning there was no way for Ernaut to find his way east at all! Ernaut felt like his better choice right now wasn't to fight back, but to instead accept what's going on right now and work it up to the top from here, so he decided to give up right now and then have Quinn attack him instead, because it wasn't worth fighting back in Hobbs's Summit at the dead-end right now.

Quinn had finally shot an arrow towards Ernaut's knee, puncturing it but not impaling it. It let out a bloody wound, enough to incapacitate Ernaut in order to stop him from running away. To Quinn, she felt victorious over him, and then after the shot, dozens of guards and townspeople surrounded him.

"Did you, did you defeat the Witch Runner?" One of the townspeople asked, seeing the shot that Quinn actually made towards Ernaut; the arrow towards Ernaut's knee that knocked him unconscious.

"Yes. Yes I did. I've finally defeated Ernaut, or should we say the Witch Runner. We're going to be taking him to the Nexus Capital's Supreme Court, where we will determine the fate of Ernaut, and then do the rest from here. He's going to be taken there in a military ship." Quinn replied.

Beck had finally ran towards Quinn's arrow, Beck knew that Wally had finally won against the battle against the runaway Ernaut, and that they were finally able to take him in for justice, and that location would be none other than the largest area in the Kingdom of Nexus; the Nexus Capital island, where they had the Supreme Court and the Supreme Prison.

"It's about time you finally get taken into justice, because we've had enough of your attempts to run away from us from when you were wanted dead back in Castlemore, " Beck pulled out a bag which Ernaut didn't know what it was, and then Beck poured it onto his face, which left him being intoxicated to sleep. The bag had what could be called sleep powder or a sleep toxin. He was then eventually carried into guards and then onto a military ship that took him to the Nexus Capital. Hours passed, and Ernaut eventually woke up. He noticed that he was cuffed to one of the comfortable seats of the ship, likely to prevent escaping.

"Ernaut! We can break out of this"- Karin said before Ernaut snapping her into stasis again and cutting her conversation out of Ernaut's ears, because he didn't want to be bothered at the point. He didn't want to fight his way out of the Nexus Capital at the point, because he wanted to see if everything was actually up to no good at this point before making his move. After some time, the ship arrived at the cities of the Nexus Capital, with the clock at the 3:30 hand, likely taking place at the afternoon. He'd been in the ship for hours, but he was cuffed right now, and his only direction to go was to follow where the guards were taking him; whether it be either the prison or somewhere.

Through the large cities of the Nexus Capital, Ernaut was cuffed and was following two guards from the military ship. They were heading for the Nexus Capital's courthouse, the courthouse where they'll declare Ernaut's trial, which to him he knew it was no good for him, but as he knew; the courthouse is the process which most people go through before they are thrown into the prison. His leg was no longer bleeding at all, because he already woke up during the ship, and noticed his black pants were already rolled up, and that there were white bandages all over the wound, with a towel aside from him which had some blood on it, which suggests that the towel was used to clean the blood off before bandaging it.

Entering the courthouse, there was one judge in front of them, as well as a jury on the side. There were Nexus guards everywhere across the trial, and shortly afterwards, the jury started to fill in, including Mayor Wally and everyone else that opposed Ernaut's journey. After some time where the people were all assembled into the positions; jury, plaintiff, defendant, and everything else, the court trial started to begin with the announcement;

"People of the Nexus, this is the trial of Nexus v. Ernaut, and therefore we can commence this trial right now, now that we've brought in the defendant, Ernaut." the announcer said upon Ernaut taking his defendant's seat.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" The judge said, starting off the trial of Ernaut.

"Yes, we have. We find the defendant, Ernaut, also known as the Witch Runner, guilty of evading the witch trials, bringing in the Chromas, and using unidentified weapons of mass destruction." Mayor Wally said as well. Including him in the jury, were some people of the Nexus Capital, and also Shion, Beck, and Quinn were on the front as well, Wally included.

"Alright, it's about time we confirm all of this. Everyone, state whether or not he's guilty or not guilty." The judge moved on to the next step, having all of the major authorities step in and vote on whether or not Ernaut is guilty or not.

"Guilty." Wally said, beginning the first vote.

"Guilty." Beck said. Ernaut knew that everyone here would state "guilty" to him, and that it would be a complete knockout.

"Guilty." Shion said after Beck.

"Guilty." Quinn said after Shion.

"Not guilty." One businessperson said after Quinn, who Ernaut did not recognize at first. To Ernaut, he looked like he was trying to support him, even though one vote wasn't going to be enough for him. Ernaut knew that he was going to try his best on actually explaining him, and he also sounded like he actually believed in the Tear of Heaven, the Comet, and the Chromas.

"Guilty." Everyone else said, one by one. So far, there were only 11 votes, and 10 of them were guilty, and only one was "not guilty", and that the judge wanted a follow-up upon the "not guilty" response, and whether or not the "not guilty" vote was an attempt to change everything or an attempt to prove Ernaut's innocence., which sounded like the former to most people in the jury.

"Okay, so only one person stated "not guilty". So, Stanley, explain why he's not guilty and innocent, even with those weapons of mass destruction." The judge said towards Stanley, who was the last one that stated not guilty.

"Alright, this is all a big misunderstanding. He was a good friend of me, and I'm one of those people, who can believe in the Tear of Heaven, and those Chromas. He was fighting off the Chromas with the Tear of Heaven, and apparently the Tear of Heaven has destined Ernaut on a quest to change his life forever, and that is ending the Epoch of the Comet and redeeming Aruku. Aruku is Aruku, not the Comet Caller. Janice and Genevie from Castlemore, they believed in Aruku and the Tear of Heaven. You guys didn't. If you had listened to what the mysterious man was talking about, we wouldn't have the Chromas here and you wouldn't have been torturing him. So please, let him go, let him go on his quest to change the world forever and defeat the Chromas." Stanley said, pleading that Ernaut be released.

Everyone in the jury laughed in response. Ernaut didn't even find it funny as well, but Karin had a plan to be seriously exposed. Karin knew the rules of the trial, but she decided to break them to be even more serious.

"Wait! I've got something to say as well." Karin said, out in the open from Ernaut's glowing hand.

"Who said that? Did we have someone else join in unexpectedly?" The judge said.

"Apparently it's Karin, or should I say the Tear of Heaven. I am the Goddess of Wisdom who as you know, I was from the Tear of Heaven, but then Ernaut unlocked it onto me, and he's capable of a lot more than you expect. He aims to fulfill my promise of going east to end the Epoch of the Comet, which Aruku tried to fight for, but she was seduced by the Call of the Comet. What you call the weapons of mass destruction, I provided them for him, the Spirit Fist, the Spirit Needle, and the Spirit Spear, all which are weapons that he's capable off, but you aren't because I'm not bonded to anyone else. You were right about the mysterious man, he was the one to tell about everything in the beginning, and then because Ernaut developed interest in Aruku, I was able to find my way to Castlemore via crashing down into the mine, where he found me and unlocked it into my body. As for the situation with the Chromas, he's also capable of taking the Chromas down, and the only way to easily survive against the Chromas is to believe in good dreams." Karin explained.

"So, you're trying to explain everything. Should we believe in everything Karin says, or no?" The judge replied, trying to continue the trial. "Take Stanley out of the trial, because I don't see why listen to him because he sounds like he's trying to defect out of the trial and provide Ernaut a supportive distraction." Stanley was eventually removed from the trial by force with the guards of the Nexus Capital. Ernaut remained silent during this situation, because he didn't want to interrupt the trial because he was told to have the right to remain silent on the way to the courthouse and that anything that he said might end up in court.

"No, we shouldn't listen to Karin right now. I think so far, the Tear of Heaven is capable of talking, but none of the information right now that she just told matters to us any longer. As you know. That's why we shall not listen to anything Karin says, except for say the Chromas right now, because so far the Chromas are the ONLY thing we've witnessed aside from Karin's abilities." Wally said, trying to put an end to the trial.

"Very well, it seems like the jury has ruled out a decision. So, do you, the defendant Ernaut, have any last words before we end this trial here?" the judge asked towards Ernaut.

"No, your honor." Ernaut replied, looking depressed and guilty on his face. Karin didn't say anything in return, but from her own perspective, she was started to look kind of disappointed in Ernaut's decisions.

"Alright, the trial is over. Ernaut, I have a conclusion right now. You will be sentenced to death. You will first go to the prison and then stay there for two days, and then on the third day, you will be taken to be executed. We were considering on removing this thingamajig out of your body, but we decided not to because apparently this thing, Karin, or whatever you call it, may be too embedded to be removed from your body." The judge ruled.

The judge gaveled three times with his hammer, concluding the end of the trial. What Ernaut learned from that trial was that everything was going to be up to no good; he's going to be placed on death penalty in two days. He's going to be thrown in the prison for some time, and then he's going to be given the death penalty. He knew that he needed to get out of there and eventually figure out a plan with Karin, but he didn't want to disclose everything or else he'd get caught. He remained normal during the process that was going on after the trial; where Ernaut gets escorted to the Nexus Capital Supreme Prison, and then taken to his cell with two guards in front of him and the back of him. Ernaut didn't want to fight back at this point, because he wanted to wait until everything was settled down at the Supreme Prison.

Upon getting into his cell and the bars closing behind him, Karin wanted to talk with him again. She wanted to express her disappointment in him upon Ernaut's lack of success while at Hobbs's Summit.

"So, Ernaut, why would you in fact give up here? You had a promise to fulfill, but it seems like you are choosing not to fulfill my promise. What exactly happened earlier that made you want to actually get defeated at this point. We could've fought back against those people together and we could've actually continued on the quest." Karin asked, with an expression that represented disappointment.

"I was told that I would be able to find a ship at Hobbs's Summit that I can take to find my way east, but all of the ships were gone. I knew my only option right now was to get defeated and end up here in prison, because I have a different plan which I can carve out right now. I need to be able to get out of this place, take one of their ships, and then get out of this place alive." Ernaut replied.

"I see. So, how would you break out of this prison without anyone noticing? You're going to have to trust in me to do so, and that will require a lot of planning to figure out a way out of this Nexus Capital Supreme Prison or wherever you are."

"Yes. So far, I've never ever been to the Nexus Capital, and the only thing that I know about it is that it is much more populated than the other two islands, Aurora and Evergrove aside from the fact that you know, it was founded way before Aurora and Evergrove were discovered and colonialized. This is where the kingdom of Nexus began, and I need to find a way out of here, not right away, but before my execution begins, which would be no sooner than tomorrow, because I need some rest right now and you can't be active all of the time, especially when you had to put up tents most of the time to ensure I can have a healthy sleep."

"So, are you going to have to fight your way out of this prison and then steal a ship from here? It sounds a lot more complex, but I still have faith in you right now. Keep in mind, a lot of these things wouldn't have been possible without me; concealing your footsteps, those Spirit weaponry that I provided for you, and of course, the tents that I provided you so you can camp for the night during your journey, but keep in mind that those abilities weren't for free. You had to unlock me first and then fight off the Chromas, and there were times where I was depleted of energy right now, and what did you do to gain that energy back for me? Fighting Chromas, that was the answer. Eventually, you're going to have to learn how to survive without me, because eventually, I won't be able to live with you forever, because you're going to have to release me when you finally change the world forever." Karin said, which sounded like a situation where Ernaut would express his feelings over and ask her back another question.

"Release you? What's going to happen to you?" Ernaut questioned, becoming concerned on what would happen with Karin after his quest is fulfilled.

"I will head back up to the Realm of the God-Emperors after you change the world, because these Tears are not meant to stay in our world forever, because they are meant to be used and then returned." Karin explained.

"I'm still thinking of heading back to this place after I change the world and defeat all of the Chromas. As you won't be with me after I change the world, I'm still leaning towards staying in the Kingdom of the Nexus in my newly restored home; the home that the Chromas destroyed."

"I understand you still have that motivation, but eventually partway through the journey, you're going to have an ally that's so close to you, that you sooner or later, you have to accept whether or not moving back is going to be the best choice for you. Do you expect that as well, where there might be allies like you that become so close that you become friends with them for life?"

"Yes, I eventually will, because I can't end the Epoch of the Comet alone and destroy all of the Chromas, I have a lot more things to do when I find my way east, especially when it comes to things like redeeming Aruku, finding allies like Gabriella, and then finding a way inside the Comet to solve the mystery of the Call of the Comet, the call that seduced Aruku. Some of this you were talking about yesterday, which is something I'll think of when I reach the eastern lands after I break out of this prison."

"Are you getting tired right now, because it seems like you had a long day right now. I can end this conversation right now because you're yawning at this point, which I can hear you." Karin asked whether to end the conversation right now."

"Yes, I've had a long day; finding myself at a dead end at Hobbs's Summit, and then the trial where I got put into a death penalty, and now I'm finally in jail, but it's not going to be the end of me here, because I'm surely going to find a way out of here right now, but it's not going to be easy, it'll take a lot of strategy and a lot of you to be able to make it out of here alive." Ernaut concluded.

"Ultimately, there's nothing that I cannot do for you that won't really help you on the journey. Everything that I've ever done for you has always helped you in your journey, but eventually you're going to learn how to adapt to situations without me and learn how to fight the Chromas for real. That's what I've been trying to tell you several times, but you never ever succeeded, and I understand it takes entirely a miracle to do so."

Ernaut eventually fell asleep in his cell. Karin had at least some rest from being forced to put up tents for the night, which she had been doing for Ernaut every night, and that was something Karin wanted a break for, because there was barely any beds that Ernaut could at least take over through his journey, which meant the only way that Ernaut could get a sustainable sleep was Karin's tent.


	22. Chapter 22: Jailbreak

Ernaut had already been taken prisoner on the island of the Nexus Capital Supreme Prison. He had been placed under death penalty for evading many captures and sneaking into the ship that was bound for Evergrove without a permit. Ernaut had woke up in his jail cell, which had a comfortable wool bed and a window with bars in it. The cell door had bars in it which were operated by sliding them open, simple as that. The leg was already closed up in terms of wounds, but it left a scar on Ernaut's body forever, because sure, Karin was capable of healing, but not as good as healing for everyone or healing of gods. For real, it was bandaged and cleaned up while Ernaut was unconscious, and Ernaut had just taken out the bandages when he got up at one point and went back to sleep.

The cell had resembled to be stone brick wall. There was one bed, and bars resembling the jail. There was a window outside which had three bars in it, representing a window.

Ernaut realized that his hands were cuffed with chains, but he knew it wasn't going to stop him. He fired two needles into the cuffs' chains, breaking them without anyone noticing because the coast was already clear for him. No guards were approaching him at the moment. Ernaut knew that he had to make his escape out of the prison to continue his mission, but it wasn't going to be easily. He would have to find a way out of the cell, out of the prison, and out of the Nexus Capital to find his way east.

"Alright Karin, tell me what to do now, so I can make my escape!" Ernaut asked, thinking of how to break out of his cell before his death penalty starts to come in. Ernaut had only 2 days to get out of the prison before his execution, but he knew that he needed to act right now.

"Ernaut, I have analyzed a possible breakout of this place. As you recall, I can tunnel all dialogue to just between you and me so nobody else is able to hear. Apparently what you need to do right now is use my powers to break the air duct that is located on the prison walls, get inside it, and then break out of there. The reason why you're not breaking out of the windows this time because that you also need to do other things as well aside from breaking out of the prison. You're going to need to break out of there safely and with everything you need, such as your backpack. You're going to need to find yourself something to change into, and then find your stuff and get out of there. You're lastly going to need to find a ship that you can take to find your way east. You were going to plan on doing this at Hobbs's Summit, but there were no ships there, but there should be a military ship that you can take to find your way east. Also, I recommend when you take that ship, that you sail around all of the islands and I can compass your way through." Karin replied, giving Ernaut introductions.

Ernaut, without question decided to follow the introductions. He decided to use Karin's Spirit Needle to break the air duct's holdings. Using the crystallized energy from the Spirit Needle, he was able to hide any potential noises and keep his plan silent. He was doing very well on breaking down the air duct without making any noise, until Ernaut heard the sounds of guards approaching, Ernaut knew that he needed to stop at this point and wait for them to clear up.

"I am detecting two patrol guards approaching. Act normal. Karin said. Ernaut got back to sitting on his cell bed while the two guards walked by. After the sound of the guards dissipated via the distance, Ernaut got back to work.

Ernaut eventually broke open the air duct that was facing forward from the prison walls. To hide any traces, Karin silently put the air duct back where it was, eventually reversing back the damage without outputting any noise. Ernaut knew that he needed to get out of here, but he didn't know what direction to take. He saw two directions facing left and right. Simply by guessing, he took the left route.

Heading towards the left route, Ernaut found himself still crawling through the air duct, eventually hearing a conversation in what sounded like a conference room in the Nexus Capital's Supreme Prison. Being curious on what they were talking about, Ernaut decided to stop and listen.

"So, we were successful on getting the Witch Runner, so what should we do now?" One person that looked to be supporting the agency against Ernaut said, the agency against Ernaut which Mayor Wally had always had since the beginning, especially with the wanted poster that promised 100 diamonds to whoever successfully catches him.

"I'm thinking of giving Quinn her 100 diamonds right now, or even better, we'll also split the reward to Wally's Warriors; myself, Shion, Beck, and we're not forgetting Quinn. Keep in mind, Quinn was the one to successfully put Ernaut's never-ending run out of business. He'll never fulfill what he needs to do for the Tear of Heaven or whatever you call it, and we don't care about the Comet Caller at this point, because it's basically irrelevant. Now, I understand there was this one mysterious man that tried to convince us to believe in the Comet Caller and that Tear of Heaven, but here's the thing with the mysterious man, he's so mysterious with that strange-looking armor and uniform, he doesn't look like something that migrated from another kingdom or country, he looks more like a strange prophet that no one would even care about, because he's too unknown to even be considered. We would've believed in the Comet Caller and that Comet if we were to bring in real evidence of them threatening us, but because they pose no serious threat to us, asides from you know, the Chromas, but we still believe that Ernaut, or should we say the Witch Runner was responsible for bringing them over. If Ernaut wanted to be set free, then the only way to do that was to give up the Tear of Heaven, but he refused to. If Ernaut gave up the Tear of Heaven to us, then we would've been able to believe in him, but nope, he gets the Tear of Heaven inside his body and starts using these weapons which no one else would be able to believe in, because we cannot even replicate it. If you want a far war, you're going to stick with real and physical weapons as tools of the trade." Wally said.

"Oh Wally! I'm glad we're all getting that reward! Getting rich from really big success was a dream that I've been dying to come true!" Shion said, laughing with success.

"Alright, so 25 diamonds for all four of us? That's like 25 million gold for all of us! We'll be able to afford the highest of the luxuries, and then we'll be able to make it rain!" Beck said, being excited on the reward."

"Here's how it all started. I came up with this "wanted" poster for Ernaut, the one that supported the Comet Caller and has the Tear of Heaven inside of him. I eventually got a mob which included Shion, the great hunter of Castlemore to come after him, but he eventually got himself another supporter and supporter that actually believed in the Comet Caller thingy, and I'm surprised that he was able to sneak into that one ship that was going to Evergrove just to get away from us, but as you know, he's not really getting away because I also alerted the ship with a message regarding Ernaut, and that message told them to get Beck and Quinn on the alert, because they were both at Evergrove at the time. Don't worry, we've finally got Ernaut cornered, so we're getting rich for life, with the money provided by the Nexus Capital." Wally replied.

After the conversation, the door opened to what could be an alarmed guard of the Nexus Capital Supreme Prison. He looked kind of desperate in his face. Ernaut knew that the guard had noticed that he escaped, but he was already crawling through the air duct at the point above them, still able to get out of their sight undetected.

"Wally! Everyone! I have reports that Ernaut, or should we say the Witch Runner, has escaped from his cell! Cell number 143! I checked again at Ernaut's cell, the cuffs were apparently destroyed to shreds, and it looked like he managed to escape from this place!

"Wait a second, Ernaut escaped? He's not going to get away that easily!" Shion said.

"Calm down. We'll be able to catch him again. How exactly did he escape? Which way did he take?" Wally replied, trying to settle the score on Ernaut again.

"Oh, it gets worse, he's able to cover up whatever he can with the Tear of Heaven. You apparently were unable to restrain Ernaut from being able to use the Tear of Heaven's powers in the cell, so he apparently used whatever tools the Tear of Heaven provided, and then from that point, he was able to hide all of the evidence at that point, so I'm not sure how he's getting out; either by the window, through the cell doors, or the air duct. He can't have escaped through the cell doors because he could've easily gotten caught at that point, and he can't have escaped through the windows because as you know, he also would've been caught by people or patrol guards outside the prison fences, which translates to one last possibility where Ernaut escaped through, the air duct. I think right now he's escaping through the air duct. You're going to have to break open the air duct to be able to follow him, so here's the plan, I need all of the guards patrolling every air duct in this place, and eventually stop Ernaut. No weapons, because we want to make sure that none of us is hurt during the process via friendly fire." the alarmed guard replied.

Ernaut stopped listening there, and eventually kept on crawling through the air duct. Eventually after some time, Ernaut found himself in another room, which looked like some sort of clothes room, with varying military uniforms on the hangers and even hats as well. Ernaut knew what to do, he needed to find himself a disguise to be able to get out of there, so he took a military cameo coat from the hanger, as well as a veteran hat from the area. The last thing Ernaut needed to find right now was his backpack, which was also in the hanger as well as part of the "Prisoners' Assets" hanger. Ernaut felt like he was dressed like one of the military soldiers in the Nexus, and that he was ready to start paving his plan to get out of the Supreme Prison, but he also knew that the guards would be on full-patrol mode because of what happened at the cells. He was already past the cells, but he needed some way to hide. He also found himself some gloves to put on, which served as Ernaut's only way of hiding Karin. At this point, Ernaut didn't want to use any of Karin's powers at this point, because using Karin's powers could easily be noticed by the guards, He knew what to do, and he would leave the room and then act normal.

Ernaut left the room, but he started to calm down at this point. His coat, hat, and gloves were enough to hide any possible traces of being Ernaut himself, and he was able to sneak through the area undetected. Eventually, Ernaut started to exit the building, but things started to get on the high tide when one of the guards entered the room that he was in.

"Wait a second, who took one of the uniforms, a hat, and gloves?" The guard then gasped, and then noticed that the air duct was open. Ernaut didn't want to listen anymore, and then left the building afterward.

"Wait, I believe I know who it was! It was Ernaut, or should we say the Witch Runner. He snuck through the air ducts and got himself a disguise so he could just walk out easily. I need all of the guards, and everyone else after him!" the guard said, upon hearing Ernaut leave the building.

Ernaut ran and ran out of the Supreme Prison's fencing. He was already running through the city streets of the Nexus Capital's metro area. He didn't even know where to find a ship that could take him out of the area and onto his way east, until he saw a route which indicated "military docks", also known as the docks that the military takes. He then ran and ran towards the area, eventually outrunning the guards for quite some time, but they were already outside, trying to figure out where Ernaut went.

"People of the Nexus Capital! We have an emergency! Ernaut, the Witch Runner, has escaped from the Supreme Prison! Even worse, he disguised himself as a guard, being able to outrun anyone in sight. To anyone who sees him, be sure to bring him in and we'll finish him!" One of the guards hollered, trying to get anyone.

"Nope, haven't seen him. I've only seen a guard run through the area. I don't know what he looks like for real, but I've only seen him wearing a white shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Can't you be real on what he looks like? All I've seen, was just a guard run by!" One person said, trying to explain what he witnessed; a guard that was running outside.

"A guard that was running outside? Normally we don't have that sight… Wait a second, was that guard wearing gloves as well? Normally we don't wear gloves on most occasions, except for cold temperatures or handling specific materials." The guard asked back, trying to find evidence of Ernaut's runaway.

"Yes. Yes he was. I can see right now you're not wearing gloves. Wait a second, are you saying that the guard was a criminal in disguise? Given that he was on the run, it's likely he's no longer here at this point. I've lost track of where he is, but apparently Ernaut was heading for Hobbs's Summit, and then he failed to find a ship at Hobbs's Summit, and that was where he decided to surrender at the point. If there's anywhere Ernaut could possibly go, it's to possibly find a ship right now, which means that the only place that Ernaut could go is the docks to find a ship." The witness replied.

"Okay, here's the plan. I'm going to need the guards to split up on specific docks of the Nexus Capital, finding ships that Ernaut could possibly steal. Keep in mind, he's capable of far beyond, he has the Tear of Heaven inside of him and he's also capable of using strong weapons against us, such as the ability to dash with a magical spear, which Beck witnessed at one point, and the fists and magical shots or whatever you call them. That's the only three weapons that we witnessed, but we don't know for sure is his limits of the Tear of Heaven. He seems to have no limits to what he can learn from the Tear of Heaven and what he's capable of." The guard replied, planning out a strategy to take down Ernaut.

Ernaut ran and ran towards the docks of the area. He was already far from the Nexus Capital Supreme Prison. Eventually after looking through the area, Ernaut saw a ship that he could take, and eventually boarded the ship and then drove off in it, using the military key that was already provided in the jacket. He also dropped his gloves as well to try and hide his evidential proof by looking like any other guard. He then sailed away and away, heading south of the Nexus Capital but going around all of the obstacles.

Ernaut felt like he already escaped the Nexus and that he was on his way to his mission; fulfilling Karin's promise by heading to the island east that has a portal that could take him to the eastern lands of Teya. For quite a while, Ernaut was fine, until eventually, ships started to catch up upon Ernaut.

"Ernaut? Ernaut? If this is you, you must surrender! You are not authorized to use the ship that you are driving!" One of the guards shouted. Each of the two ships following him had only 3 guards, because they knew that Ernaut could attack them at any possibility, and that the lifeboats they had for survival could only hold three people each. They each of them wanted everyone to survive incase Ernaut does a counterattack, which they always knew from the beginning that they would.

"Leave me alone! I have a promise to fulfill with the Tear of Heaven, and you guys are just trying to stop me. I see that you have cannons to shoot my ship, but here's the thing, I can shoot you guys real easily. I don't have any physical weapons, but just watch!" Ernaut said, readying his Spirit Needle.

Ernaut then charged up his Spirit Needle. Both guards were thinking of shooting the cannon at the ship's hull, because shooting them directly at Ernaut had the risk of friendly fire, which was something that they didn't want to even risk, but upon aiming the cannons at Ernaut's ship, they were too late as Ernaut fired a burst of Spirit Needles towards their ships as well, fracturing both hulls with four cracks each, sinking their ships slowly and then putting the cannons out of accuracy, firing them into the ocean and missing their target.

"I hate witchcraft! This guy is unstoppable!" One of the guards reacted, upon Ernaut sinking their ships via his Spirit Needle ability. They felt like at this point Ernaut was basically unstoppable, especially with Karin protecting him of any kind of danger. Some of the guards even felt like giving up, which was something Wally's Warriors would never do. Each of the guards eventually boarded the lifeboats and got out of the area where Ernaut was driving away to.

Ernaut felt like he finally stopped the Nexus for real at this point and eventually kept on going with the ship. There were no more obstacles given that Ernaut was able to lose them at this point, and that he felt like he was finally getting to a point where the Nexus was eventually giving up at this point. Ultimately, Mayor Wally would never ever approve of giving up, but given that Ernaut was finally going to get away from the Nexus, it would've felt a sense of actually giving up towards Ernaut.

"Alright Ernaut, I think I've finally stopped the Nexus. I'm finally on my way to the eastern lands of Teya, but I need to start thinking about what I need to do first at the eastern lands of Teya, whether to be finding Aruku, or finding Gabriella first. I need to learn how to adjust to living in the eastern lands of Teya so I can learn about their people and whether or not they can treat me fairly given how underdeveloped they are compared to the Nexus." Ernaut said to himself, thinking about what to do upon reaching the eastern lands of Teya.

Karin felt like Ernaut was regaining success at the point, upon seeing that Ernaut was able to escape from the Nexus and take a ship towards his destination; the island that could take Ernaut to the eastern lands of Teya, which was part of his promise to Karin; going east and destroying the Comet and the Chromas.


	23. Chapter 23: A Way East

Ernaut had finally escaped from the Nexus Capital's prisons. He was fighting his way out of the Nexus Capital to continue his own quest, while escaping from Wally's plan to take him into prison for witchcraft. He was finally on back to his track, to find his way east. According to Karin, he needed to find what was called a replica of the Gems of Power, which was the monument that Aruku had established back in Tetala Island, because that was the portal that people used to get to other lands, but Ernaut knew that he had to rebuild whatever was lost of it, since the people of Nexus had already took it apart for not being of any use.

Taking the stolen ship, he eventually drove around most of the islands and wore a Nexus military jacket and hat to eventually keep his identity hidden. Karin was able to hide herself from Ernaut's hand, but her powers, such as the tent that Ernaut had used and her weaponry cannot be hidden at all. Ernaut carefully drove the boat through the islands until eventually he got south of Evergrove, where he would eventually find the island of the Gems of Power, and the portal to the way east. Then, after he arrived at the island, he would then destroy the ship by using his Spirit Fists to eventually sink the ship to debris which would then sail away. Although it would be a bad idea because the debris could easily be identified and traced back, Ernaut felt like this could be enough to further hide his traces. Ernaut then took off the military jacket and the hat and eventually threw it out to the ocean, because the jacket and hat might be enough to show that Ernaut had used a disguise to sneak around the Nexus to get to where he wanted. Although in the beginning of the escape he was wearing military gloves, he eventually decided to give them up when he realized that all of the other gloves were not wearing gloves, and that the gloves could easily track him down, but they did and Ernaut had no other choice but to fight them off using Karin's powers.

"Alright Karin, I think we've finally arrived at the island that I needed to go, the island with the portal that could take me east." Ernaut said towards Karin, upon arriving in the ship before destroying it using Karin's powers.

"Ernaut, now that you've destroyed the ship right now, I think I've already memorized its design right now. That way, if you need a ship for travel, I can provide a magical replica that dispels via magic, kind of like the tent that I've been providing you. Karin replied. "Anyways, as for this island, this is it. You have to solve the puzzles here, and then you can form the portal here that could take you east. Why not take a look around, and see what we've got here?"

"Okay, I need to take a look around." Ernaut said, walking around the island for possibly clues for the area. He saw that the altar that had the portal according to the scrolls that Ernaut had read at one point, was not active, as if it was not carrying any charge.

"The portal's not active right now. It looks like I need to solve the puzzles here if I want to reactivate this portal." Ernaut said, pointing the situation with the portal.

"Isn't this the monument with the Gems of Power? Take a look at these 7 colorful rocks, and then you should figure out what to do from there." Karin replied, suggesting on where else Ernaut to look at.

Heading for that ancient arcane floor, he saw 7 rocks that were in different colors; green, red, blue, yellow, orange, and even white! The rocks were all out of order and looked like they needed to be re-arranged in order to activate the portal. Ernaut was curious on why couldn't the Nexus destroy the rocks or even throw the rocks out to the shore. In curiosity, Ernaut grabbed one of the rocks, walked calmly to the shore, but then a mysterious barrier blocked Ernaut from any further, as if the rocks were restricted to be on the island and not to be thrown out.

"So these rocks are not to go any further from outside the shore of the island. Safe enough. I should learn how to rearrange these, and I need to think about this. If these rocks were to form the color of the rainbow, which apparently what these rocks are supposed to represent given their seven colors, you need to be able to rearrange them so I can figure out what to do from there. I've got a plan right now, and that is being able to use you to teleport to my destination afterward or something like that." Ernaut said, thinking of the rocks that were disoriented.

Ernaut had to think of what was going in the area. He then looked at the rocks, and then he had an idea; he would re-arrange the rocks to eventually showcase the colors of the rainbow, but that he realized that one of the rocks, the white rock, wasn't part of the rainbow at all, meaning there were only 6 rocks for the rainbow; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, but no violet. Ernaut knew that that re-arranging the six rocks was the only option right now, and that he could hope for a possible answer right now. After re-arranging the rocks, the arcane floor started glowing, and the rocks started to float.

"This was a replica of the Gems of Power that was used in Tetala Island. A-ha! If I could use my memory, I could therefore use that memory to teleport you to the other side of the world, where Aruku and the tribes are. That way, you can continue your goal on finding Aruku and defeating those Chromas. I don't want you to solve the rest of the puzzles, because that'll eventually leave more evidence towards the Nexus."

"Tetala Island? What's that?" Ernaut didn't even know about Tetala Island or its presence on Eastern Teya. He only in fact knew about Aruku, the Tear of Heaven, the Comet, and the Chromas at the time.

"An island on the so-called eastern region of Teya. You've been seeking to get over there and find Aruku and the Comet. Now that I finally got a glimpse of teleportation destinations, I could use the evidence to teleport you to your destination. This island, apparently was the island where Aruku originally found me, the Tear of Heaven."

Before Ernaut could teleport himself to the eastern lands of Teya, he needed to start thinking of a plan on what to do when he gets to Tetala Island, the destination that the portal was going to. He thought of possibly meeting Aruku at Tetala Island, but he didn't know whether or not Aruku and the Hawk Tribe were still at Tetala Island or not. If Aruku wasn't at Tetala Island, then his only other option was to explore the area until he finds the island that Aruku is located, or possibly finding Gabriella to look for an ally that could help him get into the Comet and destroy the Chromas.

"Alright Karin, before I get into the portal, you will make sure they will not track me down real quickly. Make sure to put the portal down and make sure the rocks are disarranged, so in case the Nexus finds their way to his island, which they eventually will at some point, make sure that they can't track me down, because I don't know what to do from there in case the Nexus catches up to me. You might say that the tribes of the eastern kingdom can turn on the Nexus in case they get in there? It's true, very possible, but as you know, their military is pretty much unstoppable given how advanced they are." Ernaut asked, thinking of a plan to keep the Nexus away from his journey.

"No problem. I can do that as soon as you teleport, I will reset this area to what it originally was using my memory at this point. This will prevent the Nexus from going any further at this point. I only wanted to solve the first puzzle, not the many puzzles that this island has because it will only give the Nexus more ease, and all I needed was a replica of a memory to take you to Tetala Island. That's all I needed." Karin replied.

"Alright, this is it. For all of this time, I'm finally headed to Tetala Island, my first destination in the eastern lands of Teya. From over there, I will need to find a way to get into the Comet, and then eventually find allies that are willing to support me. I understand that everything cannot be planned accordingly and in time, given I've never been to the eastern lands of Teya before, and that I have no idea where is what in the eastern lands, and that I'll need to learn more about the tribes before I find an ally to get along with." Ernaut said, before starting to get into the portals that the Karin was provided

The Six Gems of Power glowed, and with the help of Karin, shined a beam to the arcane floor. Ernaut closed his eyes, and then in a flash of light, Ernaut disappeared, ready to travel east at last. For several weeks, he has been running from the Nexus's army while on the chase to find his way east. He had gone through many dangers; Beck and Quinn, and the escape from the Nexus Capital's Supreme Prison. He felt like he was finally able to get closer to closer to fulfilling Karin's promise upon the teleportation begun.

While inside the rift portal that was taking him to Tetala Island, Ernaut was already asleep, but he couldn't even stop thinking about what to do upon arriving to Tetala Island, whether it be finding the allies first, or learning more about the tribes, hunting down the Chromas. Speaking of hunting down the Chromas, Ernaut knew that there were still the Omega Chromas, which were the highest rank of the Chromas but had so far encountered none of them. He thought of finding Gabriella first for an ally, but he didn't know where to find the Haven Tribe, and that sailing around with the ship that Karin provides for him with the eastern lands was going to take some time getting used to where was where at the moment. He also needed to take in mind that eventually there might be other dangers as well aside from the Chromas, such as other tribes that could turn on him, and learning to deal with Aruku as well; which meant that redeeming Aruku from what she did with the Call of the Comet wasn't going to be easy. Speaking of the Call of the Comet, one of the reasons why Karin wanted Ernaut to get into the Comet was to fulfill the biggest mystery so far; what exactly was the Call of the Comet, and what it took to Aruku, and the real blessing of the Comet; what it gave up to Aruku in return.

"Ernaut, I know that you're thinking of a plan on what to do when you get to Tetala Island, but if you listen to what I say, I'll protect you. Yes, you'll face many new dangers along the quest. You'll eventually have a slow pace because you're going to be adjusted to the tribes and the new islands that you'll explore. Don't worry about finding a ship, because I can now provide you one from the ship that you've destroyed. You're definitely going to have a strong ally that you can trust, like Gabriella, the queen of the Haven Tribe, or possibly anyone else that can support you. Your promise to me, is to find your way east, and then end the Epoch of the Comet and destroy all of the Chromas, while also making a change to the world, but you still have a long way even after getting to Tetala Island. You're going to have to build some allies and trust, and then find a tribe that is willing to support you, redeem Aruku, and then hunt down the Omegas. I recommend heading for the allies first because you can't solve the Call of the Comet without a ally that can guide you." Karin said, thinking of ideas for what to do upon arriving at Tetala Island.


End file.
